(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Minister for water and power announces an indiscriminate drive to recover unpaid bills.
the authorities on tuesday cut off the electricity supply to several major official buildings for non-payment of bills including parliament the prime minister’s offices and the president’s official residence on the orders of minister of state for water and power abid sher ali.
pakistan is blighted by rolling power cuts caused in part by people not paying their bills with government offices among the worst offenders.
ordinary people struggle without electricity for 12 to 18 hours a day in the blistering heat of summer but up to now little action has been taken against recalcitrant bureaucrats working in air-conditioned offices.
the minister for water and power ali announced an “indiscriminate drive” to recover unpaid bills and warned that all offices and customers who had defaulted would be cut off. addressing a press conference here abid said that the electricity connections to all institutions as well as individual consumers who have not paid their bills will be disconnected.
“i have issued orders that the electricity supply to parliament lodges parliament house and the presidency should be disconnected immediately for non-payment of millions of rupees of bills” he said.
the minister said that it was unfair to say that any one province was being targeted and added that the ministry will not let anyone steal electricity whatever the location may be.
the minister also revealed that sindh owed rs56 billion in electricity dues while kashmir owed rs33 billion adding that a campaign against electricity thieves has been started. abid also said that he has told prime minister nawaz sharif that 1000 megawatts of electricity could be saved if markets were closed around 8pm.
the capital development authority islamabad’s civic agency which is responsible for paying government offices’ bills owes the islamabad electricity supply company (iesco) rs2.36 billion ($24 million). the presidency which is the head of state’s office and residence owes rs28 million while lawmakers’ residential block parliament lodges had to pay rs20 million to iesco he added.
power company officials said that electricity supply to more than 100 government offices had been disconnected over non-payment of bills.
solving pakistan’s energy crisis was a key campaign pledge for prime minister nawaz sharif in the run-up to the 2013 general election.
but the daily power cuts known euphemistically as “load-shedding” have already begun this year even though there is still at least a month to go before the height of summer when temperatures in some places top 50ºc.
the disconnections were not limited to electricity. the state-run gas company also disconnected the natural gas supply to the prime minister’s offices.
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(with inputs from afp)
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