HYDERABAD, April 18: The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company launched a vigorous recovery campaign on Tuesday against Sindh government departments which have failed to clear their dues amounting to Rs3.59 billion.

The chief executive officer of Hesco, Mr Maqbool Ahmed Khawja has issued directives to all Hesco officials on Monday to disconnect power supply to all defaulters.

He said that till February 2006, power bills amounting to Rs3.34 billion were outstanding against various departments of the Sindh government.

He said that a meeting was held with the Sindh chief secretary on March 1 in which it was decided that all outstanding bills would be cleared by March 31 at the latest.

He said that despite repeated contacts with the Sindh government departments, no dues were paid. He said that the outstanding dues had increased by Rs250 million upto March 31.

He said that Hesco was a commercial organization and it could not allow accumulation of arrears to such an extent.

The Hesco chief said that the company had been left with no options but to disconnect power supply to defaulting government departments. He said that power connection would not be restored till all dues were cleared.

He said that an amount of Rs1457.107 million was outstanding only against the local bodies.

A source in Hesco told Dawn that at least for the time being, power supply to water and sewage system as well as hospitals was not being disconnected.

STUDY TOUR: A delegation of progressive growers of Sindh headed by Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Sikandar Hayat Bosan left here on Monday for Egypt on a study tour, said an official handout.