Overbilling: Residents of Nauthia take to the streets

Block main road near Sunehri Masjid.

PESHAWAR:

Enraged by inflated electricity bills, the residents of Nauthia blocked Saddar Road near Sunehri Masjid on Wednesday.

The demonstrators took to the streets early in the morning to protest overbilling and the registration of an FIR against the locals by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) for allegedly damaging their electricity meters.

The protesters burned tyres and their electricity bills and chanted slogans against the power utility.

Because the agitated residents blocked a major thoroughfare, traffic moved at a snail’s pace across the city with vehicles stuck bumper to bumper. This caused immense inconvenience to commuters who were either stuck in traffic for hours or had to walk to their destinations.

Since the installations of new meters across the city, residents have been subjected to huge bills by Pesco, said former nazim of Nauthia Syed Zahir who was leading the protest.

Zahir told the media that overbilling was causing immense losses to families with lower incomes, as inflated bills leave a large hole in their pockets.

The former nazim urged Pesco to remove the new electricity meters or the protesters would hold a sit-in in front of WAPDA House.

Adviser to the chief minister Arif Yousaf told The Express Tribune that the meters of around 40 Nauthia residents suffered damage, but instead of investigating, Pesco registered FIRs against the people whose meters were damaged.

According to Yousaf, the locals contend that they have been paying their bills regularly and there was no reason for them to break or vandalise their meters.

“Nauthia residents say Pesco staffers are the ones who should be blamed for breaking the meters because they had been asking for bribes from the locals,” said Yousaf.

The MPA further said Manzoor Elahi, a resident of Gulabad 2, received an electricity bill of Rs846, 686 although he lives on a two-marla (around 60.5 square yards) plot.

“The officials of Pesco do not turn up to listen to the people’s complaints despite repeated complaints which forced them to take to the streets in protest,” said Yousaf.

He added no Pesco official arrived at the protest site to negotiate with the demonstrators. They only reached out to the protesters via telephone and assured them the FIR would be withdrawn, overbilling will be corrected and outages would be reduced, the MPA said.

Following these assurances, the protesters dispersed peacefully, he added.

Pesco Spokesperson Shaukat Afzal was not available for comment despite repeated attempts.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2014.