KOHAT, Aug 23: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company temporarily restored supply of electricity to main city on Tuesday after three nights and four days following assurance by consumers of payment of Rs20,000 as special repair charges for the faulty transformer, residents said. They said that 100KV transformer in city adjacent to Agha Imambargah developed a fault on Saturday nigh. The SDO concerned sent technicians for its repair around midnight but they told the consumers that the transformer was completely damaged and they would install new one next day.

However, the staff came to the area and demanded Rs20,000 as advance special payment for the repair of the faulty transformer.

The ASDO told Dawn that the transformer would be repaired and reinstalled on Monday evening. But the line superintendent again sent to the area the same officials, who threatened that they would not install the transformer if they were not paid Rs20,000.

They installed a small transformer on Tuesday afternoon that also developed fault after five minutes. Later, when people assured them that they would make the payment, the Pesco staff supplied electricity from alternative line.

They also promised that the repaired 100KV transformer would be installed by Wednesday noon. The consumers had demanded that Wapda should keep standby transformers at every divisional headquarters like it kep in the past so that they would not suffer.

In the past, transformers were kept at every divisional headquarters but later the main workshop was transferred to Nowshera district. Now a faulty transformer is sent to Nowshera and installed after one week if people refuse to pay for its repair at a local private workshop.

The residents have demanded of Pesco to repay the amount to them because it is responsible for every fault, which develops outside their houses up to the grid station.