Power outages common in Ramazan

Islamabad

The people of Rawalpindi of both city and cantonment areas despite making lot of hue and cry are not witnessing good results from Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) despite formation of PMs Power Monitoring Cell as power outages and complaints of low voltage have become common even in the holy month of Ramazan.

Despite resorting to power loadshedding for 8 hours in a day and that too in unscheduled manner, Iesco irks people through other tactics as well like suspending electricity after every one hour at the pretext of fault in grid stations and transformers.

While this practice is being carried out almost in every locality but the most sufferers are inhabitants of Lalalazar, Dhoke Juma, Adiala Road, Kalma Chowk, Dhamial, Kamalabad, Harley Street, Dheri Hassanabad, Ghousia Chowk, Akram Colony, as power suspensions during loadshedding and other hours have become a common feature particularly over the last one week.

The people of these highly affected areas alleged of severe power breakdown in their localities on Tuesday, June 6 which lasted for more than five hours starting from 4:30 pm. Prior to it, the inhabitants of these areas faced similar kind of situation at the hands on June 2 to June 5 as power supply remained suspended during ‘iftari’ times. This is in addition to power loadshedding plan of 8 hours a day.

When the Iesco officials of concerned sub stations like Tariqabad are informed about the problems, the related staff arrive late i.e. after one hour of ‘iftari’ timings. Though they rectify the problem in half an hour, however, exactly after one hour the problem reoccurs in these hard hit areas.

The people of these areas while criticising the inefficiency of the Iesco staff to rectify the problem in proper manner also expressed their deep concern over the silence and indifference of the higher authorities in government towards the sufferings of the consumers at the hands of this power body.

The people also alleged that though electricity remains suspended for hours in a day through one way or another however, no difference in charges of electricity are seen in their bills which otherwise remain inflated.

The people have demanded off the authorities of PMs Power Monitoring Cell, Water and Power minister to take stern action against the officials of the related substations for defying the orders of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for curtailing the hours of power loadshedding besides refraining from doing power outages through other tactics. The Supreme Court should take suo motto action against Iesco concerned officials the people further demanded.