January 01, 2009	Thursday	Muharram 03, 1430

QUETTA, Dec 31: The Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) has announced a 50 per cent reduction in power supply to 13 towns and cities of Balochistan from Jan 1.

A Qesco spokesman told Dawn on Wednesday that the national grid was not supplying electricity to Drreji, Dalbandin, Nokondi, Awaran, Taftan, Mashkey and seven small towns of coastal areas and the company was using diesel generators to run 13 powerhouses.

He said the company was unable to continue to operate these powerhouses because of non-payment of outstanding dues. The dues owed by the provincial government had risen to Rs500 million and despite repeated notices, he said, no payment had been made.

The spokesman said the Pakistan State Oil had refused to provide diesel on credit and Qesco did not have enough funds to continue to supply fuel to these powerhouses.

Expressing concern over Qesco’s decision, Balochistan Assembly’s Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani said he had taken up the matter with Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa who had assured him that the issue would be resolved.

He said electricity to these areas was supplied only for 6 to 12 hours a day and a further 50 per cent reduction would create serious problems.