MQM-P, HESCO lock horns

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) have locked horns after the latter attempted to lodge an FIR against an MPA of the party.

At a press conference at Hyderabad press club on Thursday MQM-P's lawmakers said they will raise voice in the assemblies against corruption and inefficiency of the power utility's officers.

"The corrupt and inept officers of HESCO have failed to discharge their duties," said MNA Salahuddin.

"The company has failed to serve the consumers."

He said that his party's Hyderabad leaders held a meeting with HESCO CEO Noor Ahmed Soomro on the eve of Eidul Azha and requested him to make sure that the power outages do not occur during the Eid holidays.

The MNA blamed the company for failing to ensure uninterrupted supply of power in the city even for a few days of Eid because of its poor infrastructure, which claims many lives every year, corruption and inefficient employees.

"HESCO kept the power supply suspended in many parts of Hyderabad during Eidul Azha," he alleged.

The monsoon showers lasted for six consecutive days in Hyderabad. However, it did not rain during the three days of Eidul Azha.

Salahuddin said the company has become a hub of problems. He claimed that the consumers are forced to pay bribe for repair of the pole mounted transformers (PMT) against the HESCO's rules under which the company is responsible for free repair of the PMTs.

The consumers even pay for the transformer trolleys and coils, he added.

MPA Nasir Qureshi, against whom HESCO is trying to register an FIR, said large localities in his constituency spent the three days of Eid without electricity because their defected PMTs were neither replaced nor repaired.

He claimed that 30 PMTs developed faults in Phuleli and Paretabad areas.

According to him, when he went to the HESCO's sub divisional office with complaints of the local residents the company's officials misbehaved with him.

"Billions of rupees are collected as bribes from the consumers for repair and replacement of the PMTs," he alleged.

Complaints against the performance of HESCO abound in the region which is powered by the company.

On Thursday 65% areas of Hyderabad were deprived of power after light rainfall in the evening.

The HESCO's spokesman informed that the power supply was suspended from 78 out of 121 feeders of 11 KV, adding that it would be restored after the rain stopped.

Meanwhile, an Executive Engineer of HESCO submitted an application to SSP Amjad Shaikh for lodging an FIR against MPA Shaikh.

He stated in his letter that the MPA called him on his mobile phone on July 13 and issued threats.

"[The MPA] is creating a law and order situation in the area," he added.

He alleged that the MPA later led a crowd of around 200 people to his office where the people pushed the staff and misbehaved.

The XEn further alleged that the MPA warned him that he would send the enraged people to attack HESCO's grid station.

The XEn said if any harm is caused to the company's staff or if the company's assets are damaged Qureshi should be held responsible.