HYDERABAD, June 25: The Taluka City Council (TCC) here on Tuesday adopted a resolution unanimously calling on President Musharraf and chairman of Wapda to take action against the Hesco officials who were issuing detection bills to power consumers without any rhyme or reason.

The resolution was moved by a TTC member, Abdul Waheed Qureshi, at the council’s meeting which was chaired by its convener, Abdul Qadir Nagar.

The members noted that besides the detection bills, consumers were made to pay inflated and wrong bills and face power breakdowns of long durations. Furthermore, they observed, elderly men and women were being made to face unbearable trouble while trying to get their bills corrected in queues amid sizzling weather.

The indifferent attitude of the concerned Hesco officials appeared even more frustrating, they added.

They questioned justification of excessive and detection billing despite installation of the crystal meters on poles outside the consumers premises.

The resolution demanded that the limit of the minimum rate be raised from 50 to 300 units.

The members further demanded that the waiver of 50 per cent in the outstanding dues up to Rs10,000, currently offered to the defaulters in Karachi only, be extended to all the consumers in Sindh.

Saeed Salawat, who opened the debate, said that almost each and every resident of his union council was issued detection bills.

Usman Abbasi pointed out that power breakdowns were affecting business activities in his area.

Women councillors, Shabnam Sultan and Rubina Abbasi, indicated that while people were already raising a hue and cry against the intolerable dearness and unable to pay even regular bills, how they could pay the detection bills?

Illahi Bux Sheikh, in his speech, warned the Hesco of a ‘civil disobedience movement’ if the practice of issuing detection bills was not stopped. Amid applause, he said that consumers would be asked to stop all payments, even regular bills, if Hesco continued excesses against them.

Qamaruddin Sheikh observed that people were losing patience and ready to take to streets against Wapda-Hesco’s highhandedness.

Iqbal Kaimkhani, Qari Niaz, Ali Akbar Vikiyo and some other members were of the view that Hesco’s unfair practice was inciting power-theft among the consumers.

They demanded that certain senior officials of Hesco should also be issued detection bills for using up to five airconditioners at their homes.

The members noted that some Hesco officials were invited to attend the Tuesday’s TCC session but they stayed away. The House called for action against them.