Power distribution ‘requires overhaul’

Muqam says transmission lines badly damaged by flash floods

PESHAWAR:

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam has said that the electricity distribution systems needed overhaul in the aftermath of the floods which inflicted heavy damage on the power transmission lines.

He commended the PESCO team and its leadership for its dedicated efforts to restore the power transmission lines and hoped that their efforts would yield positive results.

Muqam chaired a meeting of top officials at WAPDA house Peshawar where he was briefed by the incumbent CEO PESCO Sardar Arif Khan Sadozai, CEO TESCO Qazi Tahir and other senior officials.

The provincial line losses target, put forth by the ministry, for the month of February, was achieved and surpassed by more than one per cent, he was informed.

The advisor highlighted the dire need to improve the billing system so that public is not forced to pay hefty bills in false over-billing cases which is a major complaint by the general public.

He directed the quarters concerned to ensure real-time readings and fill vacant seats of linemen where necessary so as to provide maximum relief to PECO consumers.

Muqam stressed that accountability of billing offenders must be ensured across the board for the sake of national interest.

He maintained that few corporate offenders are capable of stealing electricity that amounts to the total supply of several villages and such people should be taken to task by all means.

Numerous restaurants, crush plants and prominent hospitals have been caught stealing electricity and fined on the spot since the incumbent CEO took charge of his office which is really commendable, he said.

PESCO CEO Sadozai emphasised that recovery in hard areas stand at 41 per cent as compared to 88 per cent in soft terrain areas.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2023.