Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) has Rs 284.23 million outstanding against the consumers, medical and relief camps and tent villages for providing free electricity to the quake affected areas. For the recovery of the amount the company has approached federal government for its early payment.
This was disclosed during a meeting of the senior officials of the company held here at Wapda House, with Chief Executive Pesco Brigadier Sakhi Marjan in the chair. The meeting reviewed the performance of different circles of Pesco during the last fiscal year 2005-2006 and the month of June, 2006.
Chief Engineer (Operation) Muhammad Shafiq Khan, Chief Engineer (Tech) Roshan Din, Chief Engineer (Customer Services) Iqbal Ali Shah and senior Pesco officers were also present in the meeting. Superintendent engineers (SEs) appraised the chair about the performance of their respective circles.
Addressing the participants of the meeting Chief Executive Pesco Brigadier Sakhi Marjan expressed grave concern over the poor performance of few circles and called for reduction in the line losses and improvement in recovery. He directed the company officials to achieve the already fixed targets.
He said that he would personally monitor and review the performance of different circles during his monthly visits and warned that any laxity in this regard would not be tolerated and responsible officials would be taken to task. "Every government connections must be checked by the SDOs concerned, because it had been noticed that in some cases illegal connections have been erected from the government connections inflicting huge financial losses and the company has to face unresolvable disputes with provincial government," the Pesco chief added.
Chief executive Pesco directed all SEs to implement all the pending ERO's according to instructions and remove the equipment of such connections without further delay. He stressed to monitor all the permanent disconnected consumers by the XENs themselves because no one can live without electricity in this era and if any permanent disconnected connection found connected illegally, the concerned XEN and SDO would be held responsible.
Expressing concern over increasing tendency in electricity misuse, he directed SEs to educate the people about the ill effects of Kunda system in different areas of their jurisdiction and control the menace of electricity especially in the areas of high loss feeders immediately. He took notice of over billing in few areas and directed all the XENs to stop over billing and directed to charge the consumers according to their actual reading. He also directed all SEs and XENs to ensure their presence in their offices so that the consumers may approach to them for their grievances.
Earlier, all SEs gave presentation about the performance of their respective circles. Said Afzal SE Bannu Circle briefed that line losses of Bannu Circle decreased from 39.7 to 38.4 percent and the private recovery also decreased from 70 to 61 percent. Muhammad Yar Khan SE Peshawar told that line losses has been decreased by 0.5 percent while its recovery improved by0.8 percent. Fazal-e-Khaliq Khan SE Khyber circle said that his circle line losses increased by 1.4 percent while its recovery position had improved. Nazir Ahmad SE Hazara circle briefed the meeting and told that line losses of Hazara Circle had been increased by 0.9 percent while its recovery reduced by 0.4 percent due to the earthquake after affects.
Abdur Rehman SE Swat Circle told that circle line losses have been reduced by 0.4 percent while recovery remained 99.8 percent. Similarly Naik Muhammad SE Mardan Circle explained that he has been successful in reducing line losses by 1.4 percent while its recovery also remained less.
Chief executive Pesco issued special instructions to the Pesco officers to work for the betterment of company and put the company on the path of success by reducing line losses. He was not satisfied with specially Mardan Circle's performance and asked for improving recovery and resolving the consumer's complaints. He warned all the Pesco staff to be punctual and warned them against taking wrong readings.