Jail authorities hold FESCO workers for trying to cut supply

FAISALABAD:

Central jail authorities allegedly held two Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) officials for disconnecting power supply to the jail.

Fesco officials blocked Jaranwala road, in retaliation, demanding that their colleagues be released. The held officials were released after six hours.

According to Fesco, the Central Jail owed the power company Rs5.1 million. Fesco issued a warning to the jail administration to deposit the outstanding bill in instalments but the jail authorities did not pay the dues.

Jail authorities, on the other hand, complained that Fesco had disconnected electricity supply without just cause. “We did pay the bills but they brought up the additional payments later. By then they had already cut off our power supply,” said a jail official who chose to remain anonymous.

On Friday, when lineman Noor Muhammad and assistant lineman Abdul Jabbar went to disconnect the power supply, jail officials detained them.

Saddar station house officer (SHO) negotiated between the two parties and got the officials released.

Jail superintendent Tariq Babar said that the central jail was not a defaulter and insisted that they had deposited their bill on November 4.

“Fesco is still listing the jail as a defaulter because their system crashed,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2011.