PESHAWAR, Jan 1: The Water and Power Development Authority's bid to recover arrears from defaulters and regularize illegal connection in the NWFP through an incentive package has failed to yield the desired results, according to sources.

The package for defaulters of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company, which was announced by Water and Power Minister Liaqat Jatoi on Sept 30, did not get positive response from the consumers, the sources said.

"Progress is not satisfactory and desired results could not be achieved through the package," conceded a Pesco official.

Under the package the defaulters were given a month to enter into an agreement with Wapda to clear their arrears in up to 50 instalments and get their disconnected supply restored.

An offer to thousands of consumers who have taken illegal connections from power distribution lines also failed to attract them. The company had asked them to get regular connections by paying the connection fee in instalments.

"The minister's warning that people failing to take advantage of the offer in a month would be taken to task did not work," said the sources.

The package was meant to recover Pesco's arrears, bring down its line losses from the present 30 per cent and discourage illegal connections, which, the sources said, were going unchecked in some areas on the outskirts of Peshawar and Bannu. They said Pesco could do little against illegal connections because of the political government's reluctance to act in the areas.

They said the company had not take action against any defaulter.

The minister had said that the properties of defaulters failing to clear their dues and remove illegal connections would be forfeited to recover Wapda's arrears.

"The number of disconnected power connections is growing," said an official.

Pesco Chief Executive Brig Tahir Saeed Malik told Dawn that the company's efforts against people who had taken direct connections from power distribution lines had failed because of the provincial government's reluctance to cooperate in this regard.

He said the number of illegal connections was growing but the provincial government did not fulfil its commitment for facilitating implementation of Pesco's plan.

He said the company's plan to replace large transformers by small ones in the 'high-loss' areas to ensure uninterrupted supply to regular consumers and segregate people who had taken illegal connections did not work.

"We gave a presentation to the chief minister about our plan, however, despite agreeing to cooperate with Pesco in implementing it the government did nothing in this regard," said the Pesco chief.

Progress on the installation of small transformers was not satisfactory because of hindrances being created by some people within the provincial administration, he said.

"The law-enforcement agencies are not coming forward to give cover to Pesco staff and without their help this scheme can not be implemented," he said.