HYDERABAD, June 16: The chief executive of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, Adeebul Hassan Rizvi, has said that an amount of Rs408 million is outstanding against the federal government departments and Rs1,727 million against the Sindh government departments because of non-payment of electricity bills.

He was speaking at a news conference at the press club on Wednesday. Chief engineer Sukkur Yahya Bashir, chief engineer Hyderabad, Sharif Ansari and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

He said that under the new policy only a committee of two senior members of the company would approve the issuance of detection bills. He said that detection bills would only be charged from the domestic consumers for three months and for the use of air- conditioners for six months only in case of power theft or slow metres.

Mr Rizvi said that electricity bills outstanding against the Sindh government departments were reconciled and Rs450 million out of Rs1,727 million had been cleared.

He said that the total amount of outstanding dues stood at Rs900 million only against the taluka municipal administrations. He said that hopefully the amount would be paid this month.

Replying to a question, he said, a total amount of Rs6,297 million was outstanding against the industrial, commercial and domestic consumers. Mr Rizvi said that Rs3,390 million out of this amount was against those consumers whose electric supply had been disconnected on permanent basis.

He said that these 261,000 consumers would be well advised to apply for fresh connections and they would be extended facility to pay their arrears in instalments. He said that the authority in this regard had already been given to the respective superintending engineers.

The Hesco chief said that a lot of hue and cry was raised when power was disconnected but it should be realised that Hesco could not supply free electricity as it was a commercial organization.

Quoting an example, he said, a reconciled amount of Rs70 million was outstanding against the Hyderabad Cantonment Board and Rs122 million were outstanding against the HDA and WASA.

He said these organizations had been given final notice to pay up their dues by June 20 failing which their power supply would be disconnected. About development works, Mr Rizvi said that an amount of Rs532 million had been spent on different development projects out of which Rs66 million had been spent in the city to streamline the distribution and transmission system.

He said that in addition to the installation of new transformers, metres, establishment of sub-stations a large number of villages had also been electrified under the directives of the prime minister, MNAs (Tamir-i-Pakistan Programme), senators programme and Khushhal Pakistan programme.

The chief executive disclosed that PC-I for five years development programme of the company had already been submitted to the federal ministry for water and power for approval.