PESHAWAR, Feb 28: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has recovered Rs203 million dues from federal and provincial government institutions in its drive launched last week.

The utility had kicked off its campaign of dues recovery on February 23, 2005, and so far it has collected Rs56 million from Peshawar circle, Rs10 million from Mardan circle, Rs68 million from Hazara circle, Rs2.3 million from Bannu circle, Rs44 million from Khyber circle and Rs2.4 million from Swat circle, a Pesco press release issued here on Monday said.

"The Pesco campaign was in full swing for the recovery of Rs1,200 million which the federal and provincial institutions owed to it," the Pesco spokesman said. "The drive against defaulters is going well but still millions of rupees are to be recovered," he said.

The basic aim was to recover the arrears and not to create difficulties for the people, he claimed. Pesco's chief executive Tahir Saeed Malik has issued directives to the utility staff not to disconnect power supply to hospitals and tube-wells which have less arrears, so that the public might not suffer.

Pesco authorities have also restored power supply to the tube-wells of Town III on the request of its nazim and the provincial minister Amanullah Haqani but the arrangement is only for one week.

The provincial minister and town nazim had assured Pesco that arrears would be deposited within one week. The connections will be restored permanently if the outstanding dues were paid to the Pesco authorities, the press release said.