Suspended Utilities: Protest against MEPCO’s failure to replace transformer
Students and staff are forced to carry on with the routine activities without electricity and water.
BAHAWALPUR:
Hundreds of students and teachers at the Government Tameer-i-Millat Girls High School in Rahim Yar Khan protested on Wednesday against the Multan Electricity Power Company (Mepco) for its failure to replace a transformer that broke down two weeks ago.
Since then, the electricity supply and consequently the water supply to the school have been suspended. Students and staff are forced to carry on with the routine activities without electricity and water.
On Wednesday, the school administration, teachers and students took out a rally to protest the situation. They demanded that Mepco restore the supplies at the earliest. They carried placards containing their demands and chanted slogans against Mepco.
They said several complaints had been submitted at the Mepco office, but no one showed up to fix the problem at the school. They said the school did not have enough funds to buy a power generator. They also complained about water supply problems resulting from the lack of electricity.
A Mepco official said the transformer had become nonfunctional during the recent rains. She said they were awaiting a demand notice by the Education Department which was not submitted.
The Education Department spokesperson said Mepco was informed about the transformer.
Senior Headmistress Tanveer Fatima told The Express Tribune that the school had informed the Education Department as well. She said an application to Mepco was returned saying Wapda could not repair the transformer.
She said the school was told to repair the transformer on its own.
She said 1,500 students currently studied at the school. She requested the chief minister and the education minister to take notice of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.
Hundreds of students and teachers at the Government Tameer-i-Millat Girls High School in Rahim Yar Khan protested on Wednesday against the Multan Electricity Power Company (Mepco) for its failure to replace a transformer that broke down two weeks ago.
Since then, the electricity supply and consequently the water supply to the school have been suspended. Students and staff are forced to carry on with the routine activities without electricity and water.
On Wednesday, the school administration, teachers and students took out a rally to protest the situation. They demanded that Mepco restore the supplies at the earliest. They carried placards containing their demands and chanted slogans against Mepco.
They said several complaints had been submitted at the Mepco office, but no one showed up to fix the problem at the school. They said the school did not have enough funds to buy a power generator. They also complained about water supply problems resulting from the lack of electricity.
A Mepco official said the transformer had become nonfunctional during the recent rains. She said they were awaiting a demand notice by the Education Department which was not submitted.
The Education Department spokesperson said Mepco was informed about the transformer.
Senior Headmistress Tanveer Fatima told The Express Tribune that the school had informed the Education Department as well. She said an application to Mepco was returned saying Wapda could not repair the transformer.
She said the school was told to repair the transformer on its own.
She said 1,500 students currently studied at the school. She requested the chief minister and the education minister to take notice of the situation.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.