Efforts to declare Peshawar load-shedding free continued

PESHAWAR (APP): The provincial task force is working fast-track basis to declare Peshawar a load-shedding free model district. In the last few days, record recovery has been made from the defaulting consumers and use of illegal electricity has been eliminated in most of the feeders including Peshawar and D.I. Khan and now these feeders will be declared load-shedding free.

These views were expressed by the head of provincial task force for energy, Additional Chief Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs, Mohammad Abid Majeed, while presiding over the seventh meeting of the forum, said a press release issued here on Wednesday.

Besides, Divisional commissioners, Regional Police Officers, Secretary Energy and Power Nisar Ahmad Khan, representative officer of Industries department and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) Qazi Tahir also attended the meeting of the task force.

It was informed in the meeting that a provincial task was created for the recovery of dues from electricity consumers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to stop misuse of electricity. In a short period of 3 months, the force has so far recovered more than Rs. 7.74 billion while joint teams of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) formed against power pilferers and defaulters have imposed fines to the tone of Rs. Rs. 40.041millions. Similarly, 57482 power connections have been disconnected and more than 20,000 cases registered against power pilferers while 924 accused were arrested.

In addition to this, the successful campaign has also brought significant reduction in the line losses. After Mardan, the provincial capital Peshawar was also selected to be declared a load-shedding free model city.

The campaign is continued on 83 feeders in Peshawar in six phases. The first three phases include recovery and measures against electricity theft. The first three phases targets have been achieved by almost 100% while campaign on the remaining feeders in Peshawar will be completed in next few days.

In the meeting it was stated that the cleared feeders in Peshawar should be immediately declared load-shedding free and steps should be taken for recovery of arrears from the defaulting federal government institutions and consumers through blocking their identity cards, passports and freezing of their assets.

The provincial task force granted the approval and the police authorities were directed to appoint a focal person in connection with the identification regarding taking the help of the police to complete the campaign on the remaining feeders of Peshawar.

At the end of the meeting, the head of the task force, Abid Majeed, stressed that the authorities that the provincial government wants to make the campaign successful and to declare Peshawar a load-shedding free district after Mardan.