Civic responsibility: Citizens of Peshawar voluntarily remove kundas

Electricity consumers agreed to cooperate as PESCO promised to improve services.

PESHAWAR: In an encouraging display of civic responsibility and cooperation, the residents of Urmar, a suburban area of Peshawar, have voluntarily removed all direct hooks, which are used to steal electricity from transmission wires, from their area and applied for new electricity meters after a meeting between Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ishtiaq Urmar and Chief Executive officer (CEO) of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) Tariq Saddoazai. The meeting was intended to create linkages between the electricity provider and consumers to facilitate co-operation and improve operations.

MPA Urmar assured CEO Pesco that if the company addresses the issues of masses and provides them electricity connections without undue delay the inhabitants of the area would not only remove direct hooks but also submit their outstanding dues. On the assurance of the MPA, Saddozai visited the area on Wednesday and issued necessary instructions to address complaints from the public as soon as they are submitted.

As a result of the gesture, inhabitants voluntarily started removing the hooks and deposited applications for installation of electric meters. As many as 160 applications along with Rs500,000 were deposited with Pesco for new connections while over Rs1 million were deposited by 75 defaulters.

Saddozai directed Superintending Engineer Peshawar Circle Dr Amjad to boost up the recovery campaign and increase the number of recovery and meter installation teams in the areas, so that it would be made a model for other areas.

He directed the officials who would make the teams to ensure their presence in the area till the completion of the company’s “One Window Operation”, campaign to facilitate the customers of this area.

Saddozai assured the residents that important steps have been taken for improvement of voltage in the area, adding that new distribution transformers are being installed to overcome the issue of break downs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2013.

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