KOHAT: The wholesale dealers of new fruit and vegetable market blocked the University Road to traffic against cutting of power supply to the market here on Wednesday.

The Pesco disconnected electricity to the market from the transformer, asking the tehsil municipal administration (TMA) to pay its Rs3.6 million dues accumulated during last five years. The traders said that they had started business at the new site two years ago and were not responsible for the remaining three years.

Following the protest, a jirga was held at the office of deputy commissioner Akmal Khan where a mutual formula of payment was devised. It was attended by MPA Ziaullah Bangash, tehsil municipal officer, Pesco officials and leaders of the business community.

It was agreed at the meeting that Rs300,000 would be paid by the dealers, Rs500,000 by TMA and the rest of Rs2.8 million from the Rs10 million grant announced by the prime minister last year for the tehsil council.

Meanwhile, a large number of women staged an agitation in front of the deputy commissioner’s office against prolonged loadshedding in Bahadar Colony on Wednesday.

They also blocked the Rawalpindi road for over an hour. MPA Ziaullah Bangash arrived at the scene and after his assurance the protesters dispersed peacefully.

The duration of power outages has surged to 12 hours in urban and 18 hours in rural areas of Kohat district. It has badly affected the business community, especially those depending on electricity like welders and tailors. Also, consumers have been complaining about exorbitant bills in the absence of power supply.

The residents have been complaining about power fluctuations in different areas and damage to their appliances. Abdul Qadir of mohallah Mian Badshah told this scribe that within 15 days his fridge, AC and cooler had developed faults due to the extreme fluctuations.

Officials at the grid station, however, claimed that it was a line problem and they were providing smooth supply to the consumers. They warned that the loadshedding duration would gradually increase in summer.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2017