KOHAT: Consumers here have criticised the Peshawar Electric Supply Company for allegedly sending them inflated electricity bills with hundred per cent taxation which they are unable to pay in one instalment.

One Hashim told this correspondent that last month they were sent a bill for over Rs19,000 in which cost of electricity had been mentioned as Rs8,800 and tax as Rs11,000. He claimed that they had one air-conditioner which was used only during night. He complained that with a loadshedding of about 13 hours daily in the city such a heavy bill was unjustified.

Another consumer Fahad received a bill amounting to Rs55,000 with no other details mentioned in it. He said that they were three brothers who were all on jobs and paying cumulative Rs40,000 as tax to the government every month, but even a syringe in the hospital was not available for free what to talk of roads and water supply.

The consumer said that when they went to the local Pesco office to get the payment converted into three instalments they were told that it could not be decreased for more than two instalments. Due to heavy bills more and more consumers are turning to theft of electricity.

A Pesco official said on condition of anonymity that the main reason for corruption was the higher cost of electricity units and taxation. He said that on the one hand the government had started a campaign ‘say no to corruption’, on the other hand it had increased the cost of power beyond the reach of common man.

Answering a question, he said that those paying tax on their salaries were entitled to refund on electricity, phone and gas bills, but FBR had made this system so complicated and asked about the source of ownership of houses, education of children and other unnecessary things that people were afraid of recollecting the tax.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2016