CHITRAL: Despite the availability of 30mw electricity at Golen Gol hydropower station, the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has begun loadshedding in Chitral and Drosh areas distressing its 21,000 consumers.

The residents told Dawn that power outages were uncalled-for, so there should be an immediate end to it.

Jughoor village nazim Sajjad Ahmad Khan said the suspension of electric supply for six to 10hours daily had made the residents’ life miserable.

He warned that if corrective measures weren’t taken, the people would agitate.

The nazim alleged mismanagement in Pescoand said the company had two meter readers for a population of 21,000 but there was no bill distributor. He insisted that the Pesco issued bills without meter reading.

The nazim also complained about inflated power bills.

“I know hundreds of consumers in my constituency, who have received inflated bills ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs60,000,” he said blaming it on arbitrary and fictitious meter reading.

He insisted that in most cases, 2,000-5,000 units were showed in bills in advance.

The nazim said bills weren’t delivered to consumers in their houses and instead, they’re left in mosque or shops and therefore, most of they’re not delivered and thus, leading to imposition of penalty on consumers.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed medical superintendant of the District Headquarters Hospital, Dr Israrullah, on Friday said all-out efforts were under way to make the hospital a self-reliant healthcare unit to decrease referrals bringing relief to the people.

Dr Israrullah told reporters after assuming the charge of his office that the hospital suffered from a shortage of specialists and general duty doctors.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2019