SUKKUR: Normal life of the citizens of Sukkur city and its surrounding areas has been paralysed as result of hours-long announced and unannounced load shedding and frequent power outages in the name of tripping and faults developed in the power supply system.

The citizens have been experiencing unscheduled power load shedding for a long time and its duration has been increased up to 12 hours a day.

Consumers complain that Sepco was charging exorbitant bills even when the duration of power outages was not 12 hours. When they request the Sepco officials for bills correction, the officials concerned turn a deaf ear to their complaints and ask them to first clear the bills and then apply for correction.

Infuriated at the situation, consumers do not pay bills and revenue to the power company blocks.

It has been observed that mostly duration of power outage was increased in the last 10 days to cover up line losses through foul play in the name of faults, frequent tripping, shut down for more than eight hours for repair and maintenance of power supply feeders.

It is due to increase in power tariff that consumers commit power theft with the connivance of Sepco line staff who have backing and shelter of the union and in case if any agency, including FIA, initiates action against the line staff, protests start at a large scale. On the other hand, the Sepco administration is not able to take action physically against power thieves and the line staff.

Insiders say staff of grid stations play a vital role by extending their complete cooperation to operational staff for a meagre amount of money or Rs50 to Rs100 balance to their mobile phones or other facilities and switch off the supply on their call in the name of tripping and developing fault in supply line.

In response to such undue gratifications, thousands of consumers, including those who pay their bills in time, are forced to face a lot of problems.

During the day, citizens fail to do their daily course while at night they have to remain alert and safeguard their belongings in the hours of load shedding.

In many areas, students and working people suffer a lot in the absence of load shedding as they could not press clothes and face difficulties in searching their articles.

Now a days, gas load shedding has added to the problems of the citizens because now people have skip their breakfast at home and leave for their school, colleges and working places.

The situation was brought to the notice of Sepco Superintending Engineer GSO Circle Sukkur Nazeer Ahmed Soomro who held out assurance to discourage the ongoing practice, but no fruitful results have emerged so far.

When contacted, SEPCO spokesman Noor Ahmed Soomro told this correspondent that the scheduled line losses of Sukkur city was six hours daily, adding that two hours load shedding was being observed after six hours.