FAISALABAD: Both Faisalabad Electric Supply Company and Faisalabad Development Authority are facing capacity issues -- the power firm does not have the infrastructure while FDA is short of cash -- to provide electricity to the entire housing scheme, FDA City.

Now both entities have decided to initiate electrification in phases and initially the Fesco will completely electrify the F block and partially A block.

The Fesco board of directors has also approved the phase-wise electrification and authorised CEO Khursheed Aslam to sign a contract with the FDA administration to execute the project.

The colony announced in 2005 was established on 1,800 acre land having more than 11,000 houses of three categories - five, 10 and one kanal - in five blocks - A to F.

Sources told Dawn that the FDA administration had been facing a severe financial crunch and was not in a position to pay million of rupees to Fesco for electrification of the entire housing scheme.

They said sensing the situation and pressure of the allottees’ who deposited billion of rupees with FDA by purchasing plots in 2007, FDA had asked the power firm to provide electricity to F and A blocks so that people could start construction of their houses. They said after commencement of construction work, the development authority would receive huge funds that would enable it to pay for electrification in other blocks.

After a detailed discussion, the BoD has approved the request of the FDA administration.

In the decision, the BoD mentioned, “Carry out the electrification of FDA City in phases as requested by FDA subject to deposit received from FDA, will remain permanent deposit and adjustment will only be given upon completion of the entire project. The Fesco CEO is authorised to sign an agreement with the management of FDA to determine the phases. Mode of deposit of each phase in practicable installment will be got approved from BoD. The administrative approval of revised estimate amounting to Rs3.6 million is granted after incorporating the recommendation of the committee excluding cost of 6x200 KVA and 4x100 KVA transformer.”

The BoD further approved that source feeder No-6 would electrify the block F (full) and block A (partially) and all categories of consumers would be provided with electricity subject to the deposit against phase-I.

Considering the availability of the load, the board said two grid stations of 132-KV would be constructed/energised from existing system, initially with lx10/13 MVA power transformer for each grid station (to be augmented subsequently according to load demand required by FDA at their cost.)

It has been clearly mentioned in the BoD decision that such conditions are exclusively for FDA City project keeping in view the power shortage, volume of work and behaviour of development of such a huge housing project and will not be applicable to other housing schemes.

The power company has Rs113.6 million paid by the FDA.

On June 21, 2010, the FDA officials deposited Rs7.2 million through a cheque (929564) for design vetting fee of the housing scheme. On June 30, 2011, Rs70 million had been deposited through a cheque (930753) as 10 per cent of the approved project cost.

Similarly, on June 27, 2013, Rs36 million were given to the company.

FDA City Project Director Shahid Gill told Dawn they had no financial problems rather Fesco was not in a position to electrify the entire housing scheme. He said the Fesco officials had made them a rolling stone.

“FDA can make complete payment for electrification of all blocks, and who would guarantee that Fesco would honour its commitment? Because of lethargic approach of Fesco, we will pay in phases,”Gill said.

Presenting the case of FDA City electrification before the BoD, Fesco Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Masood Salahuddin said FDA requested electrification in phases. However, he said whole the work could not be carried out by Fesco/NTDC due to shortage of staff, material arrangement and other constraints.

Two grid stations of 132-KVA each equipped with as many as 25 feeders of 11-KVA will be installed to provide 92 megawatt electricity to the housing scheme.

Fesco has approved source feeder connected with the Chiniot Road grid station to provide supply to block F and A. Grid station will be installed near motorway, eastern side of the city and the FDA administration will provide land to Fesco.

Dozens of poles have already been installed on different roads of the scheme and some transformers were also purchased.

An officer of the Fesco said although the FDA administration had purchased the poles and transformers without consulting them, the company would use the material after ascertaining their quality.

Masood Salahuddin told this correspondent that file work on the installation of grid station was under way. He said the FDA administration had requested phase-wise electrification.

He said the deposited amount of the FDA would remain with Fesco as security that would be adjusted after completion of the entire process of electrification.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2014