HYDERABAD, Jan 22: Leaders of Shia Ulema Council (SUC) on Monday lashed out at the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) for disconnecting power supply to the city’s streetlights and imposing load-shedding on the consumers during the sacred month of Muharram.

In a joint statement SUC Sindh President Syed Kazim Shah Naqvi, Nizamul Hyderi and Syed Moazzam Shah Naqvi said that Hesco had earlier assured that it would not shed load during the sacred month but did not keep its promise.

They warned that if the company continued load-shedding during Majalis or mourning processions the consequences would be disastrous.

A five-member SUC delegation led by Nizamul Hyderi also met with City Taluka Nazim Javed Jabbar, senior officers of Rangers, DPO Ali Mohammad Junejo and SP Muneer Shaikh to complain about the Hesco’s attitude while assuring of full cooperation for maintaining peace in the city.

District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil, too, advised the company to avoid disconnecting power supply to Imambargahs, offices of shia association and streetlights and carry on their dues recovery drive after Muharram.

In a meeting at district nazim secretariat City Taluka Nazim Javed Jabbar, Latifabad Taluka Nazim Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani and Qasimabad Taluka Nazim Noor Mohammad Shoro complained to Mr. Jamil that the company was disconnecting power supply to Imambargahs, offices of shia associations and street lights on the pretext of dues against TMAs.

The company’s drive had greatly enraged people who were more likely to react strongly, they feared and added that the offices of Hesco, its power stations, poles and other installations were located on the property of taluka administrations but the company had never bothered to pay them any rent. They said that the Hesco owed to TMAs a huge amount in the shape of accumulated land utilisation tax, publicity tax, license tax and sanitation tax.

The company had also not evolved a workable methodology for fixing tariff on streetlights, they said and demanded that the district nazim should prevail upon Hesco not to take any step, which provoked people and lead to law and order situation.

RANGERS: The Qasim Rangers Acting Commandant Lieutenant Colonel Tariq Jan has assured that his organisation will fully cooperate with the district government in maintaining law and order during the sacred month.

Presiding over a meeting at Muslim College he said that the Rangers would deploy more than 700 jawans in the city, set up pickets and intensify street patrolling.