SIALKOT, Feb 23: The water supply to the city remained suspended here for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as Gepco again cut the power supply to Sialkot tehsil municipal administration tubewells for its failure to pay dues.

The rift between the TMA and Gepco resulted in suspension of potable water supply to the city's almost all industrial, commercial and residential areas, for the third consecutive day, causing immense hardship to the people.

Gepco authorities again disconnected all electricity connections of the TMA tubewells due to the non-payment of the electricity bills. Earlier, Gepco had disconnected these connections in the end of January this year, but restored them after the TMA surety regarding the early payment of these dues, which it failed to honour, forcing Gepco again to disconnect these connections.

The arrears of Rs35 million are still to be paid to Gepco by the Sialkot TMA, as the monthly bills of all the tubewells. The local social, religious and political circles have strongly criticized the TMA for not taking measures for restoration of water supply to the city.

However, the TMA's concerned officials claimed that Gepco had been sending inflated electricity bills to the TMA, which the administration stopped paying. They said alleged that instead of correcting these inflated bills, Gepco authorities disconnected the connections. Meanwhile, Gepco officials told the journalists that the power supply would remain disconnected till the complete payment of the arrears.

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