MULTAN: State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali on Tuesday suspended three Multan Electric and Power Company (Mepco) executive engineers from service and transferred two others. Talking to the media, the minister said the action against Mepco officials was taken for violating departmental rules and regulations, poor performance and increase in line losses in their respective areas.

The suspended officials included Musa Pak Division Executive Engineer (EXEN) Malik Mushtaq Ahmad Athangal, Kabirwala Division EXEN Muhammad Iqbal Pahur and Dera Ghazi Khan Division EXEN Maher Khuda Bakhsh. Shujabad Division EXEN Rahim Bakhsh Sial and Lodhran Division EXEN Rana Muhammad Ayub were transferred to Mepco Headquarters and Kabirwala Division, respectively.

Mr Ali directed the authorities concerned to suspend all officers found conniving in power theft, failing to recover dues and in charge of areas where line losses had increased, but they had got stay orders.

He told the officers of Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari and Mailsi divisions to improve their performance within a month or face action.

The minister said during summer the power loadshedding duration would be between six to eight hours as by the end of May, 2000 megawatt electricity would be added to the system.

He said that so far the government added 2,250 megawatts to the system, while this year the electricity production would be 18,000 megawatts against 16,000 megawatts of last year.

He said Pesco would secure Rs1.5 billion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by closing 13 high losses feeders.

The minister also directed the Mepco officials to identify overloaded feeders within two months.

For recovery of billions of Wapda dues, the minister directed the distribution companies heads to get the court cases decided at the earliest.

He said the cooperation of provincial governments would be sought to save electricity by closing markets and bazaars earlier.