MANSEHRA: The excessive power loadshedding coupled with gas shortage has caused long queues of vehicles outside local CNG stations.

Cabbie Mohammad Idrees told Dawn on Monday that he spent almost half of the day waiting for CNG in long queues and that had been happening for many months.

He blamed his misery of the prolonged suspension of electric supply and acute shortage of gas in the area.

“Loadshedding along with gas shortage has doubled our misery. Owners don’t operate CNG stations on power generators in absence of electricity, so we spend most of our time queuing up for CNG for long hours without earning a livelihood,” he said.

In early December, the administration had announced the gas loadshedding of six hours daily for CNG stations over as gas shortage.

The filling stations stop CNG sale for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening.

Taxi driver Idrees said the government was not sincere in addressing the people’s basic problems, including gas and power cuts.

He said he was struggling to make both ends meet under the current circumstances.

The cabbie criticised the ruling PML-N for failing to keep its election promise to end gas and power loadshedding and even said things had worsened over the last one and a half years.

Taxi driver Mohammad Jibran, who was also lined up outside a filling station for CNG, complained that the people were in distress over poor socioeconomic conditions but the rulers didn’t bother.

He said energy shortage had adversely affected businesses and industries and thus, causing massive joblessness.

Jibran said electric supply remained suspended for around 16 hours daily on average, while gas shortage was also acute.

ABSENTEE TEACHERS SACKED: The district education officer of Torghar has terminated the services of five teachers for being absent from duty for many years.

DEO Torghar Abdullah Khan told reporters here that not only five teachers were sacked but the department would also recover salary and other financial benefits drawn by them during the prolonged absence from duty.

He said five low-grade employees were also forcibly retired over absenteeism.

The DEO said the people used to show reluctance in sending family members to schools but things were changing for good due to the department’s effective steps.

“Now the people are not only sending daughters and sisters to schools but also checking the presence of teachers in schools,” he said.

Abdullah Khan said the department had formed parent-teacher associations in every government school in the backward area to check the quality of education given to children and presence of teachers on duty,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play