MQM-P tells HESCO to end power outages

Says company has become merciless entity and does not care about citizens

HYDERABAD:

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNAs have given a deadline of two days to Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) to stop the power outages during Muharram, warning them of a protest if the outages continue.

Addressing a press conference at Hyderabad Press Club on Saturday, the MNAs Sabir Qaimkhani and Salahuddin and MPAs Rashid Khilji and Nadeem Siddiqui deplored that HESCO does not spare the consumers even on the days of religious or national significance.

“The smallest faults in the transmission system, which occur frequently, take a day or longer for repair,” Qaimkhani bemoaned.

He said the company has become a merciless entity and does not care how the people get boiled under the sweltering sun without electricity.

“Unfortunately, Hyderabad also has a history of deaths of people caused by explosions in the pole-mounted transformers”, he said.

Qirmani added that despite such incidents the public utility has not shown even any willingness to mend its ways.

The MNA told that MQM-P’s lawmakers have been raising their voices in the senate, the national assembly and the Sindh assembly against HESCO.

He objected to blaming the citizens alone for the power theft, arguing that without connivance of the company’s field staff any form of power theft by the residential, commercial or industrial consumers is not possible.

Qaimkhani also rejected the company’s claim that it has become a loss making entity because the line losses have increased to 40%.

“We don’t believe this assertion because HESCO is a lucky company because three industrial zones including Nooriabad, Kotri and SITE besides two zones of small industries with optimal recovery are in its jurisdiction.”

“We will not end the protest until HESCO gives us in writing that it will rectify its wrongdoings,” the MNA said.

The party’s legislators gave 48 hours to HESCO to replace all defective transformers in Hyderabad and repair other faults in the transmission lines. They pointed out that the existing board of directors of HESCO lacked representation from Hyderabad and demanded that the government should appoint directors in the BoD from Hyderabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2023.