LAHORE: A good number of electricity workers staged a demonstration in front of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) headquarters on the Queen’s Road on Monday to press the authorities for the acceptance of their demands.

Gathered under the banner of the All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA), the workers were carrying national flags and red banners inscribed with their demands. They raised slogans against the government move to pronounce electricity over-billing a crime. Addressing the protesters, Union leader Haji Younas urged the government to start constructing water reservoirs on a war-footing basis and focus on small hydel power projects to minimise dependence on thermal power production units.

Muzafar Mateen said the country had the potential to generate 100,000 megawatts of cheap and environment-friendly electricity, but only 7,000 megawatts were being generated. Nosher Khan and Naveed Dogar appealed to the government not to establish new power companies since it would increase cost of administration. All the power companies be given under the administrative control either of Wapda or the Pakistan Electric Supply Company (PEPCO) instead of board of directors comprising private members who had no know-how of power sector, they demanded.

Sarfraz Hundal said the government should provide the latest gadgets for meter reading instead of making “harsh laws”.

Waliur Rehman said the vacancies of meter readers should be filled up to overcome the complaints of over-billing.

Union secretary general Khurshid Ahmad said the field staff responsible for detecting power theft should be provided security. He demanded that the government should lift ban on the recruitment of field staff in electricity sector and take measures to ensure safe working conditions for the line and technical staff.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2017