SWABI: Residents of various localities here on Monday demanded of Pesco to repair the out of order transformers as they have been without power supply for last few days in the sweltering heat.

Four 100kv and a 50kv transformer got tripped due to overload, suspending power supply to Kandary Banda, Seri, Dagai Cham, Maneri Payyan, Shahmansoor and Saleem Khan localities, complained the people. They said that they had been calling for repair of the transformers, but the relevant Pesco officials were not heeding the requests.

People of Kandary Banda, who also staged a protest against the power suspension, met with the Pesco executive engineer for repair of area transformer. The Pesco official directed the staff to fix the transformer without delay.

Abdul Qayyum of Kandary Banda said that residents had immediately informed the Pesco about burning of the transformer a few days ago, but repair work couldn’t be started as yet. “We also approached the politicians in this regard, but to no effect,” he regretted.Consumers of other areas said that they had to stay with their relatives in other areas in the hot weather as it was difficult to get on without electricity, especially for children and elderly.

Shah Wali, a social worker, said that faulty transformers were often repaired at the intervention of some influential politicians, so people were always at the mercy of such people whenever a transformer developed fault.

He said Pesco often resorted to delaying tactics in repair of faulty transformer, insisting that the machine had to be taken to Nowshera reclamation centre for the purpose. “So people often got the faulty transformer repaired on self-help basis,” he said.

A source said that Pesco was giving fresh connections in the areas where transformers had already been overloaded, as a result they got tripped.

Meanwhile, people also complained of excessive loadshedding, and demanded of the government to ensure that power supply remained uninterrupted during the holy month of Ramazan.

HASHISH SEIZED: District police claimed on Monday to have recovered five kilogram hashish and arrested two smugglers.

The smugglers were on way to Abbottabad in a car when they were stopped at Shaheed Baba checkpost in Topi. On checking, the police recovered five kilogram hashish, hid in the tyres of the vehicle. The police arrested two suspects, Irfanullah and Mohammad Ishfaq, and registered case against them.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2014