LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Jan 2: Authorities here confiscated hundreds of electric heaters and ovens from shops selling electronic goods in raids conducted in the Landi Kotal bazaar.

The action was taken after Wapda officials complained about excessive use of electricity by Landi Kotal residents. The sale and purchase of electric appliances increases in the winter in the area.

Wapda has so far failed in its efforts to persuade tribal people to install electricity meters at their homes, while the ‘meterization’ campaign in commercial areas has only been partially successful.

The authorities have also arrested two electronic goods dealers and sealed their shops after they resisted the khasadar force to take away heaters from their shops.

Assistant Political Agent Landi Kotal Riaz Massod told Dawn that the action was taken in order to control the excessive and unauthorized use of electricity.

He appealed to the residents to abandon use of high-voltage electric appliances in order to avoid load-shedding.

The area’s residents are subjected to long hours of unannounced load-shedding by Wapda due to overloading of the local grid station.