Power restored: Villagers, WAPDA reach agreement

HANGU:

Villagers from different parts of the district and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) officials came to an agreement on electricity theft and subsequent outages on Thursday. The decision was taken during an open kutchery in Naryab village. It was agreed that Wapda will restore electricity to various areas once people pay their dues.

Participants included residents whose power was disconnected due to unpaid bills, political activists and Wapda Divisional Chairman Hayat Wazir Bangash. Villagers attended from affected areas of Naryab, Shana Warai, Tora Warai, Zargari, Karbogha Sharif and others.

Bangash offered villagers special deals to encourage residents to pay their bills and refrain from stealing electricity. The water authority promised to replace all broken meters for free, and will provide new meters to those villagers who never had similar units. Villagers will only have to pay the cost of the meter, it was said.

Wapda officials also promised correct meter readings and in turn residents will remove direct hooks from power lines.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2014.