HYDERABAD, May 7: Hesco chief executive Mohammad Tariq Arshad has urged parliamentarians of Sindh to use their offices for doing away with additional taxes on electricity.

Briefing members of the National Assembly at the gymkhana here on Wednesday, he said Wapda chairman Zulfiqar Ali Khan had also repeatedly requested the government to withdraw the taxes.

Mr Arshad attributed massive line losses — 41.4 per cent — to power theft. He said line losses in Hesco were high when compared to the seven other power distribution companies of the country.

He said departmental action had been taken against employees who had helped in power theft.

He said Rs6963.85 million was outstanding against 366,905 power consumers.

About development schemes the company had initiated in the province, the Hesco chief said schemes of laying transmission lines, restoration of lines in coastal areas, replacement of old insulators and establishment of new transformers had been completed in deferent areas.

He said between July 2002 and March 2003, 308 villages were electrified in the province, adding that 85 more villages would be provided with power supply under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme and the Arid Zone Development Programme.

Parliamentarians, including Shamim Akhtar, Shamshad Bachani, Shagufta Jumani, Prof Khalid Wahab and Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair (Hyderabad), Azra Fazal Pechuho (Nawabshah), Fahmida Mirza (Badin) and Ruqqaiya Khanam Soomro, Mohammad Anwar Bhutto and Hizbullah Bughio (Larkana) attended the briefing.