DADU, Dec 15: Residents of Gharibabad, Dhamali Chowk and Soorajabad of Dadu town demanded on Friday in a protest rally that the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) withdraw inflated bills and end unannounced load-shedding.

The protesters led by Inayat Jamali, Nadeem Ghallo, Qaim Ali Siyal and Gul Sher marched on main roads of the town before holding a demonstration outside the local press club.

Jafar Lashari, a driver, said that he had received a bill of Rs70,000 while his total income was Rs6,000 a month. It was next to impossible for him to pay such a huge amount, he said.

He said that he had complained to the federal minister for water and power about the inflated bill but he saw no action taken against the officials concerned nor was he sent a corrected bill.

Inayat Jamali said that Hesco officials were carrying out unannounced load-shedding in their areas and accused line superintendents of involvement in the issuance of inflated bills.

The protesters, later, observed a token hunger strike outside the press club, which drew expressions of solidarity from various political parties, NGOs and social welfare organisations.

Crime rate: Residents of Nadeem Colony Dadu, staged a protest demonstration in front of the press club on Friday against the deteriorating law and order situation in Dadu town.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders of the protesters said that the ratio of crime was going up in the town. He said that during a single night, a gang of armed men looted thousands of rupees, gold ornaments and other valuables by breaking into houses of Mohammad Hashim Mallah and Habibullah Solangi, but police had not taken any action against the criminals.

He appealed to the PPO of Sindh and DIG of Hyderabad to direct the local police and demanded arrest of the criminals involved in robberies and also setting up of a police picket at Nadeem colony.

ARRESTED: Three alleged outlaws were arrested by a patrolling party of Radhan police after a brief encounter at Radhan-Mehar link road, on Friday. They included, Pathan Solangi, Nazeer Solangi and Ali Mardan Brohi from whom the police claimed to have recovered two double barrel guns and 30 cartridges.