ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) yesterday disconnected power supply to the Capital Development Authority headquarters for non-payment of dues.
Afshan Muddasir, newly appointed IESCO public relations officer, confirmed the development. According to her, the power supply was disconnected after the CDA failed to pay monthly bills which have now complied to Rs 1.64 billion. Not only the CDA but there are dozens of other government institutions which are defaulters; however, she avoided to share the identity of defaulters.
“It is true that we have a list of defaulters against whom we have started operation, and the CDA is on the top of the list,” Muddasir said.
She said the CDA would have to make some payment to get the electricity supply restored. She denied that the electricity of Balochistan House has been disconnected. But the CDA, on the other hand, said that the electricity was disconnected on controversial dues.
It said the bill was actually about streetlights, while the CDA has put off half of the streetlights under energy conservation plan since 2002, the civic body spokesman said in a handout.
It further said that despite several requests the distribution company has not installed meters for the streetlights and sending wrong bills according to some self-designed formula.
The matter would be raised in cabinet division in coming days, the CDA spokesman said. The CDA officials said that IESCO was defaulter of CDA but it discontinued electricity supply to the chairman office over a disputed amount. The officials further said that due to power cut, tube-wells in capital have stopped working which has affected water supply to residents.
According to officials the dispute would be settled soon and the power supply would be restored, but it has once again unearthed a chronic problem.
According to ministry of water and power data, one of the major issues hindering smooth power generation and supply is circular debt, which is piled up due to non-payment of dues, especially from government institutions which use electricity in bulk.