SWABI: The electricity consumers on Friday complained that despite sustaining excessive power outages they received inflated bills.

The consumers, who gathered outside the Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s office here, demanded that the bills should be rectified.

Tariq Khan, belonging to Maneri village, told Dawn that he received a bill of over Rs5,000 despite the fact that not a single unit was used as he along with his family had shifted to Islamabad.

Ahmad Ali, hailing from Swabi city, said he usually received Rs4,000 bill, but he received a bill of Rs10,000 for the month of January, which was really baffling for him.

Other consumers expressed similar views and demanded that Pesco stop over-billing. They regretted that they visited the Pesco office to get the bills corrected, but no official was available.

Meanwhile, residents of Naro Kili area have demanded of the traffic police to ensure transporters don’t use the wrong side of the Swabi-Mardan Road to avoid accidents.

The people led by an elder, Sar Zamin, reached the busy bus stop in their village and stopped the transporters from using the wrong side of the road.

They said it was responsibility of traffic police to curb the illegal practice.

Sar Zamin said they would continue to educate the transporters because many people were killed and injured in road accidents occurred at the village’s bus stop because of violation of traffic rules by transporters.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2024