SWABI, Jan 16: The Pesco chief executive of NWFP, Brigadier Khalid Khan urged the government departments on Wednesday to pay Rs6 billion outstanding amount of Wapda so as to make it a profit-earning department instead of debt-ridden one.

Responding to various questions, demands of district Nazim and union council Nazims at a joint meeting, he appealed to the district governments to help Wapda recover its dues from various departments and defaulters while considering the uprooting of power theft very vital for strengthening of Wapda.

District Nazim Sher Zaman said the poverty-stricken consumers should be shielded from the unjust fine. He demanded establishment of meter checking laboratory in district Swabi, power connection to Topi public health, payment to the affectees of the Ghazi Barotha project, establishment of power grade station in Tordher and Dobain and a green signal for using of old electricity materials.

He pledged concession to poor consumers but warned the power thieves would never be spared.

He said in 2001 alone, Rs75,00,000 worth of Wapda material had been stolen. The utility had registered FIRs against the thieves.

According to the high court decision, he said the price of the stolen power meters would be recovered from its owner while responding to a Nazim’s complaint, who said the local Wapda officials had charged the people of his union council for the installation of a stolen transformer.

He announced withdrawal of Rs1,000 power charges imposed on each tobacco “Bhata”, stressing that the tobacco growers should install separate power meter for them.

To a question about incomplete projects, he said various Wapda projects in 875 NWFP villages had already been completed while those 80 per cent complete would be financed from the Khushal Pakistan Programme fund.

He ordered the local Pesco officials to provide connection to the Topi public health against which about Rs50,000 still remained outstanding. The amount was expected to be paid within a few days.

He called on the union council Nazims to pin-point those Wapda employees who imposed unjust fine on the downtrodden consumers who, he promised, would be dealt with sternly and the name of the informer would be kept secret.

He said: “If a consumer pays Rs3,700 electricity bill, only Rs900 go to the Wapda account while the remaining Rs2,800 constitute government taxes.”