July 20, 2007	Friday	Rajab 04, 1428

MULTAN, July 19: The Multan Electricity and Power Company (Mepco) will install new gird stations and improve the distribution system at a cost of Rs2 billion under the Secondary Transmission Grid Station (STG) programme during the fiscal year 2007-08.

This was stated by Mepco Chief Executive Brig Tariq Rasool (retired) while talking to reporters here on Thursday.

He said out of the total amount Rs1.26 billion would be spent on various projects while remaining Rs730 million would be incurred on the completion of high tension (HT) and low tension (LT) proposals that would help reduce the load shedding duration, stability in voltage and reduction in line losses.

Mr Rasool said that 5,000 villages had been electrified in the Mepco region last year as against the target of 4,955 villages. He said that 8,289 villages were still without electricity in 13 districts of the region.

He said three 132KV new gird stations would be installed under the sixth project of the STG in Laar, Hota and Wapda Town.

The Mepco chief said that Rs265.27 million would be spent on the execution of HT proposals, Rs481.45 on LT proposals and Rs26.58 on capacitors.

Of the total 104 gird stations working under the Mepco, 74 are of 132KV capacity and 30 others are of 66kv capacity with 856 feeders of 11kv. He said the peak load demand would be 2,087MW in 2007-08 while it was 1,950MW during the year 2006-07.

He said the Mepco had installed 394 transformers with an expenditure of Rs56.2 million last year while it recovered Rs228 million from defaulters.

The number of consumers had crossed 3.3 million. He said the Mepco had terminated its two deputy managers for sending inflated bills to consumers during the last four months.

CASE ORDERED: A local court on Thursday ordered registration of a case against a former Shujabad DSP for allegedly thrashing a woman associated with an NGO and her driver at a police check post some seven months ago.

Additional Sessions Judge Sarwar Saleemullah directed the Shujabad SHO to lodge the FIR against former DSP Athar Farooq and his four subordinates.

In her petition Ayesha Hussain, a programme coordinator of Pattan, told court that she was going to Jalalpur Pirwala from Multan when police stopped her vehicle. As she raised objections on the rough treatment being meted out to the people there, the DSP warned her not to interfere in the matter. On her repeated requests to leave the people, the DSP fell into a rage and thrashed her and the driver badly, she said.

She further alleged that the DSP had also threatened to kill them.