KHYBER: With a sharp rise in the power tariffs and delayed subsidy provided by the federal government, the power supply company has drastically increased the duration of loadshedding in tribal districts.

Sources in the power sector said that federal government was giving Rs20 billion to Water and Power Development Authority on an annual basis to compensate it for the losses incurred by it while providing ‘free’ electricity to the residents of tribal districts.

They said that the subsidy increased with a hike in power tariff while the amount was not increased accordingly. Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company officials said that they received strict instructions from the federal government to increase the duration of loadshedding up to 22 hours on daily basis.

They said that residents of different tribal districts used to get five to six hours of power supply on daily basis which would now be curtailed up to two hours only.

Officials said that grid stations staff across tribal districts was issued instructions to immediately implement the new loadshedding schedule while sparing commercial users, who were regularly paying electricity bills since the installation of meters at their work places.

Zahid Khan, a resident of Malagori in Jamrud, confirmed sudden increase in duration of loadshedding and said that the two hours of electricity they got on daily basis was also in several intervals.

Khadim Afridi, a resident of Bara, also confirmed the new ‘hostile’ schedule of the electricity and said that routine of life was badly affected by it.

Meanwhile, elected councillors of Bara announced a protest against the new loadshedding schedule on Tuesday while elders of different Bara tribes also convened a jirga to devise a joint strategy about tackling the phenomenal increase in loadshedding.

Meanwhile, Landi Kotal and Torkham border remained without electricity for the eighth consecutive day on Sunday and Tesco technical was yet to repair the damaged power pylon in Bhagiyarree area of Jamrud.

Sources said that the damaged pylon could be possibly erected and power supply restored on Monday as the repair work was going on in full swing.

The power pylon, supplying power supply to entire LandiKotal and Torkham fell on ground after some unidentified men took the large sized nuts and bolts from it.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2023