HYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmakers on Saturday strongly criticised the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) for its poor performance in the Hyderabad region, pointing out that power supply to different areas often remained suspended for hours together on account of just minor faults.

The lawmakers who spoke at a news conference in the local press club included MNAs Sabir Kaimkhani and Salahuddin; and MPAs Rashid Khilji and Nadeem Siddiqui.

They called for suspending Hesco’s load management programme till Ashura, saying that it was affecting water supply in the city as well.

They said Hesco had proved to be a failed organisation as it always failed to perform regardless of any occasion or event.

Demand no loadshedding till Ashura, prompt response to complaints of local faults

They termed Hesco a ‘demon for consumers’. If the system was not streamlined despite blasts in transformers, then it could only be described as Hesco’s tyranny of against its consumers, they said, adding that unless performances of utilities like Hesco was improved, Pakistan’s circular debt would not come down.

“An entire day is passed and even minor faults are not repaired,” they deplored. They recalled that people had lost their lives due to exploding and burning of Hesco’s transformers and the matter had been raised in the National Assembly in the recent past.

Line losses

The lawmakers contested Hesco’s claim that consumers were involved in pilfering electricity, and argued that even if it was true, this could not take place without connivance of line staff. They said that 40pc line losses were claimed by Hesco management which also otherwise meant a direct loss to the power utility.

They said if the losses were reduced to 10pc, then per unit cost could be minimised. But, they noted, the line losses were recovered from consumers by the power utility. They believed that Hesco was not loss-making utility. “It’s lucky enough to have industrial consumers in Kotri, Nooriabad and Hyderabad and if it was still suffering losses, then this could be attributed to inefficiency of Hesco and the energy ministry,” they said.

Hesco given 48-hour ultimatum

The MQM-P lawmakers said that a delegation of Hesco officers visited the party’s public secretariat today (Saturday) and admitting their laxities, also promised that an improvement would be brought about.

“Hesco has been given 48 hours to mend its way and stop power loadshedding till Ashura,” they said, and pointed out that Ashura was not sacred for any particular sect, but followers of all sects.

They recalled that the outgoing federal energy minister got Rs500m approved for Hesco system’s upgradation but nothing was done as the utility’s performance continued to show a decline.

They said besides load management programme, power supply remained suspended in the name of local faults like 14 hours of disruptions in some cases. They said that Hesco did not have the capacity to get its transformers repaired.

Protest planned

The Muttahida leaders said that their party would announce a big protest drive in the city against Hesco after Ashura. They said people would surround offices of Hesco during the drive.

They noted that Hesco feeders often remained shut for 24 hours as well while burnt out transformers were not repaired for weeks. The claimed that copper coils of burnt out transformers were replaced with silver coils and this was causing blasts when energised and ultimately lead to unending sufferings for consumers.

Even the transformers of the localities that ensured 100pc recovery were not repaired for a fortnight after the same developed a fault, they deplored.

Poor customer service

The lawmakers said that Hesco staff mostly remained unavailable during night shift or only a single person was available in its office. They said that Hesco slapped consumers with detection bills whilst no steps were taken to repair burnt transformers or rectify their faults. They lamented that Hesco staff and officers would not attend consumers’ phone calls. This left consumers high and dry, they said, adding that the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) was unable to maintain proper water supply to consumers even during Muharram days because Hesco failed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to pumping stations. They also deplored that Hesco staff was recording wrong reading of meters on the basis of slabs.

They accused Hesco of politicising consumers’ genuine problems. They also regretted that Hesco’s board of directors did not have representation from Hyderabad although 60pc of revenues was generated from this city alone by the power utility. This was evident from consumption of power which is around 600MW in Hyderabad out of the total 800MW, according to them. They reminded Hesco that the buckle-mounted vehicles were got approved by MQM-P parliamentarians and the incumbent minister had only performed the inauguration. They said that their party would keep raising its voice for consumers.

Published in Dawn, July 23th, 2023