Business community calls for removal of HESCO chief

The Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI) has urged authorities to take action against HESCO's current leadership and demanded appointment of a qualified, experienced, and industry-friendly officer as a permanent chief.

HCSTSI has accused the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) of severely disrupting industrial production through unannounced power outages in the SITE industrial area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, HCSTSI President Muhammad Saleem Memon said that repeated correspondence and meetings with HESCO's chief Faizullah Dahiri have been futile. "The HESCO chief has failed to honour his promises," Memon said.

He criticised both scheduled and unscheduled power cuts during peak business hours in SITE and other commercial zones, saying they are making it impossible for traders to operate and for industrialists to meet production deadlines - ultimately impacting exports.

Memon also raised concerns about excessive electricity bills, which he said have become intolerably high. "Regrettably, there is no responsible authority in HESCO willing to justify or clarify the inflated charges," he added, noting growing frustration and anger among the business community.

He further pointed out that HESCO was expected to complete routine maintenance of its transmission network during the winter, but is now blaming a defective transmission system for the current unscheduled load shedding.

Memon urged Federal Minister for Energy Awais Laghari, the Secretary Energy, and the Chairman of NEPRA to take immediate departmental action against HESCO's current leadership. He demanded the appointment of a qualified, experienced, and industry-friendly officer as the permanent chief of HESCO.