DADU, April 29: Hundreds of residents, shopkeepers, and political activists took out a procession here on Tuesday to protest against frequent power loadshedding and inflated bills.

Participants marched on main roads of the city, staged demonstrations outside the local press club and the houses of the DPO and the DCO and blocked the Indus Highway for two hours.

They carried banners and placards and raised slogans against the executive engineer, Hesco, Dadu division, the SDO, Dadu-I and the line superintendent.

Speaking on the occasion, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz chief Basheer Qureshi said that the Hesco officers were resorting to “artificial loadshedding” throughout Sindh to cover the losses.

He warned that if the practice was not stopped, protest demonstrations would be held against Hesco throughout the province.

Dadu Small Traders and Cottage Industries Association president Mohammad Hashim Qambrani alleged that the SDO, Dadu-I, Ghulam Qadir, was demanding monthly bribe from shopkeepers and residents through line superintendent Iqbal Leghari.

If anyone refused to pay bribe, Mr Qambrani added, he was sent detection and inflated bills.

He said that shopkeepers and residents had complained to the Hesco executive engineer, Dadu, but he had not taken any action against the corrupt staff.

He warned of continuing protest if the practice of issuing detection and inflated bills was not discontinued, the executive engineer, the SDO and the line superintendent were not suspended and an investigation was not initiated against them.

Mehran Development Organization chief Qadir Bukhsh Lund said that the Hesco staff had provided illegal power connections to ice factories and influential persons and to cover those losses, the Hesco officials were sending inflated and detection bills to consumers.

He alleged that the higher officers of Hesco were receiving monthly bribes from the local officers hence they were not taking any action against them.

He appealed to the federal minister for water and power, the Wapda chairman and the Hesco chief to take stern action against the corrupt officials and provide justice to consumers.

Later the protesters observed a token hunger strike outside the local press club.

When this correspondent contacted the executive engineer of Hesco, Dadu division, Ghulam Mustafa Soomro, he said that he had assured the consumers that if they had received inflated bills, they would be rectified.

ROBBERY: Unidentified armed robbers blocked the Indus Highway at three places and looted passengers in the jurisdictions of Mehar and Faridabad police on Tuesday.