TOBA TEK SINGH, Oct 6: Electricity consumers are facing problems as the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company is running short of meters.

Sources told Dawn that during the last six months more than 2,500 applicants had applied for power connections and had been issued demand notices. They had deposited more than Rs20 million but yet to get meters.

Sources said after repeated reminders the applicants were informed that meters were out of stock.

Also, Fesco had found 4,000 meters ‘faulty’ but they could not be replaced because of unavailability. The consumers whose meters had been declared out of order were being sent bills on the basis of average unit use and they claimed they had to pay inflated bills.

A Fesco official claimed that very few meters were supplied to the local sub-division and these were being installed on merit.

TEACHERS’ WOES: Government Commerce Colleges Professors and Lecturers Association Secretary-General Mian Adnan Amin has expressed concern over “denial of right” by the Punjab Higher Education Department.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, he stated that 895 contract employees of 118 commerce colleges in the province were put under the Higher Education Department under a notification in July 2010 on the order of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif but they were not given 20 per cent raise announced in 2012, 10 per cent raise in 2013 and 30 per cent raise in increments.

He demanded that the chief minister intervene and ensure better package for the employees of grade 1 to 18.