Shalobar tribespeople demand restoration of power supplies to Bara

BARA: The office-bearers of the Khyber Union Shalobar chapter have asked authorities to restore power supply from an old feeder to locals or else they would stage protests and block main road in Bara.

Speaking at a press conference in Bara Press Club, Khyber Union president for Shalobar unit Gul Nazir Afridi said that the officials of Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) were supplying electricity to the Rehmat Steel Mills in the area whereas the feeder was installed for the local Shalobar tribespeople.

“At least 27 feeders are installed in 132kv gridstation in Bara and of them, seven feeders are supplying power to locals for domestic use but the other feeders are providing electricity to the factories,” he said, alleging that the feeders meant for domestic consumers were providing power supply to factories. He said that people, particularly women and children, had been fetching water from far-off areas.

Meanwhile, former president Khyber Union Zahidullah Afridi told the press conference that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s top priority was to end corruption in the country but demanded the provincial and federal government to hand over the officials of the gridstation in Bara to National Accountability Bureau.

The union office-bearers including Muhammad Shakeel, Muhammad Sadeeq, Haji Ikhtiar, and Mujeebur Rehman were present on the occasion.

They demanded the newly nominated governor, Shah Farman, Sector Commander Brigadier Arshad Taufeeq, Deputy Commissioner Khyber and Tesco officials to restore power supply from the old Bara feeder for Shalobar residents.