Everyone is suffering from loadshedding. There have also been reports in the media about angry people ransacking the offices of Wapda and power distribution companies. According to reports in newspapers, the duration of loadshedding has been increased because of non-availability of gas and furnace oil. It is said that the non-availability of fuel is caused by non-payment and long outstanding dues by electricity defaulters.

The figures of electricity defaulters are quite huge as revealed from time to time by the Pakistan Electric Power Company.

It has to recover a big amount from all provinces, including AJK. Sindh has to pay over Rs39bn, Balochistan Rs18bn, Punjab Rs5bn, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs16bn and Azad Jammu Kashmir Rs10bn electricity dues.

A rough estimate of the amount to be received by power generation companies is over Rs350bn. This is a lot of money.

There is thus a dire need to establish a bill payment culture in every department, institution and household to overcome the problem of power shortage.

RAHIMA MOIN Karachi