HYDERABAD: Hesco may default if dues not cleared soon
Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, May 15: The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) would not be able to pay Rs12 billion to the Central Power Purchase Agency (CPPA) if the government departments and private consumers did not clear Rs16.214 billion dues they owed the company, cautioned Hesco Chief Executive Maqbool Ahmed Khwaja on Tuesday.
Speaking at the “point of view” programme organised by the Hyderabad press club as part of its ongoing golden jubilee celebrations Mr Khwaja said while giving a break-up of the total sum that the federal government owed it Rs553 million, provincial government Rs4,850 million and private consumers Rs10,811 million as of April 30, 2007.
The taluka municipal administrations, from Thatta to Kashmore, were the major defaulters owing the company a colossal amount of Rs2,504.20 million, he said.
He said that the company officials had twice met with the Sindh government officials on the issue, first on March 29, 2007, and then on April 2, 2007, and got the assurance that the government would soon pay Rs1 billion as first instalment. But the promise never saw the light of the day, he said.
Mr Khwaja appealed to the Sindh government to clear its dues since he said the company was having great difficulty carrying out its development programmes for want of funds.
Hesco was a commercial organisation that had to purchase electricity from the CPPA and if the consumers failed to clear dues on time it would fail to make its payments to the agency, he stressed.
He said that the company gave 75,656 new connections in 2005-06, 33,322 connections in 2006-07 (up to April) and succeeded in regularising 66,783 kunda connections within two years up to April 2007.
In 2005-06, 1,082 villages were electrified at a cost of Rs547.3 million and in 2006-07 (up to April), 1,519 villages were provided electricity at a cost of Rs981.097 million, he added.
Mr Khwaja said that the company had announced several incentives for consumers in a bid to end the menace of power theft through kundas and now a consumer, who in past had to pay Rs3,400 for metre installation, could get new connection after paying only Rs250 for metre installation and clear the remaining amount in easy instalments of Rs50 per month.
Besides, the consumers whose power supply had been disconnected five years ago over non-payment of dues, could now get their connections restored after paying half the total outstanding amount, he said.
He appealed to media and consumers to try to realise the problems being faced by company's staff and said there were many instances in which company staff were manhandled and beaten up in the course of their duties. An employee who was kidnapped from Naudero a month and a half ago had not been found till this day, he regretted.
He blamed overuse of power for load-shedding and said that many consumers used ten times more power than their sanctioned load without even informing the company and getting the extra load sanctioned.
He advised consumers to conserve power by switching off unnecessary lights and said that even in America shopkeepers would close their shops after sunset to save power.
As per government orders, the shopkeepers should close their businesses at 9pm. Another easy method to save power was to keep huge power-lit neon signs and fancy lights at marriage halls switched off, he said.
