Lights out: A dozen villages in Torghar without electricity for three days

Threaten to protest if power supply not restored in 24 hours.

TORGHAR: Villagers of the Torghar district can’t do much after dark as Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) allegedly disconnected their electricity supply three days ago.

More than a dozen villages in the district are waiting for their power supply to be restored and have threatened to protest if Pesco does not cooperate. Majority of the residents claim that despite paying their bills regularly, Pesco’s staff disconnected the power supply of at least 12 villages from the main high voltage lines.



Sultan Hasanzai, a resident of Kandar village, told journalists that Pesco officials cut the supply to more than 2,500 consumers without any prior warning. He added that they had asked the power company to not punish entire villages just because some people stole electricity, but they refused.

Zaman Hasanzai, a villager from Nawakilay, said that if there was anyone involved in power theft, it was the responsibility of  Pesco officials to keep a check on it. He added that in the past people of Torghar had sacrificed their lands for the Tarbela project and in return had got nothing but hardship.

He warned the power company that the villagers would protest if their electricity was not restored in the next 24 hours.

When approached for comments, Pesco’s assistant manger operations in the Torghar sub-division, Abdul Haleem, confirmed that they had disconnected power supply to the villages and had caught several villagers stealing electricity through the kunda system.

He said that according to new rules and regulations, if someone continues to steal electricity despite repeated warnings, Pesco can take legal action and suspend supply.

He added that unless tribal elders ensured that there would be no power theft and bills would be paid on time, the power supply would not be restored.

Haleem explained that last year Pesco disconnected supply to villages because of the same reasons and restored electricity after they had paid their fines and promised to not steal power. He added that during the anti-power theft drive, nine people were arrested after being caught using the kunda system in Judba.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2014.