Chief Executive of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) Adeebul Hassan Rizvi has asked the defaulters to pay their dues by 20 June 2004 otherwise their power supply will be disconnected from June 21.
He told this while talking to newsmen at press club here on Wednesday.
Giving details, he said an amount of Rs 408 millions were outstanding against federal government departments in Sindh (interior) while 1727 millions against Sindh government departments.
This amount of arrears was verified by consultants of governments. He said the taluka municipal administrations were in default of Rs 900 millions.
Rizvi said Sindh government has paid Rs 450 millions five days back yet it was in default of Rs 1.3 billions. He said Hyderabad Cantonment Board has arrears of Rs 17 millions while Hyderabad Development Authority was in default of Rs 101 millions.
Hesco chief officers of both departments were not ready even to talk to Hesco and make adjustments of instalments. He said when Hesco forces them for payment by disconnecting water supply and drainage pumping stations there becomes a cry of public.
He said general public in Sindh was in default of Rs 6.3 billions. He also said that Hesco has issued notices to government offices as well as private consumers to pay dues by June 20 otherwise their connections will be cut off.
However, he said the superintending engineers were empowered to allow the consumers to pay the arrears in instalments plus the current bills.
He said his main priority was that the power supply should continue. In this regard, improvement has been made and no load shedding will be made without proper reasons that were either for development works or for major fault.
He said that he has taken over one month back and before him there was general cry of 8 to 10 hours breakdown which he said was no more the case.
Talking about deduction bills he said earlier SDO used to issue deduction bills but now same will be sent to XEN who will forward same to a committee comprising two circle officers for scrutiny and only then the deduction bills will be issued.
On development side Hesco chief said work was in progress in 19 new feeders and 730 new transformers at cost of Rs 532 millions.
Out of these work on 36 feeders and 400 transformers was complete while the remaining work will be completed by June 30.
He said under the directives of Prime Minister of Village Electrification Program 110 villages out of 162 were electrified at cost of Rs 90 millions while work on remaining villages will be completed by 30 June 2004.
Similarly 308 villages were electrified under Taamir Pakistan Program with cost of Rs 508 millions. He said under Khushhal Pakistan Program and under Senators' schemes electrification of 42 villages was completed.
Hesco chief said that total 2003 villages were to be electrified under various programs out of which so far work on 1056 villages was completed and hoped that if the funds were made available more villages will be electrified before June 30, 2004.
He said for the next five years a PC for new gird stations, transmission lines and transformers costing an amount of Rs 26 billions has been present to government for approval.