ISLAMABAD - After facing distress and agony for several months, at last prayers of thousands of Mardan residents were answered on Tuesday when the Ministry of Water and Power came to know about the faulty electricity feeder and passed orders to replace it immediately.
After knowing about the residents’ sufferings, Water and Power Secretary Nargis Sethi paid surprise visit to Mardan. During her visit, it was found that one 160KV transformer developed a major fault and was affecting a large population. Sethi directed the NTDC MD to immediately provide another transformer to the grid within 72 hours.
According to her staff, the fault in the transformer affected electricity supply to the people living in Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Takht Bhai, Swat and some area of Chitral for the last several months. The replacement of the transformer will bring solace for the people since they were facing tripping and low voltage besides un-scheduled loadshedding.
The Water and Power secretary also took notice of the non-provision of domestic connections to the consumers by Pesco in Mardan as there were around 900 pending cases for such connections. She directed the Pesco chief to immediately provide connections to the people and bring them to the billing net. She also directed the Pesco chief to take practical steps for strengthening its system so that the people might not face tripping and low voltage.
It is pertinent to mention that after taking charge as the Water and Power Secretary, Nargis Sethi started daily meetings with all DISCO heads, a duty that was being performed by State Minister Abid Sher Ali before her new assignment.
Nobody from Ministry was available to comment that despite daily meetings with DISCO chiefs, reviewing all distribution data and monitoring power generation and distribution operations, what took ministry so long to take this decision. Pesco is among those companies which responded positively to the campaign of State Minister Abid Sher Ali, against illegal connections and pending recoveries.
Pesco Chief Executive Brigadier (retired) Tariq Sadozai had informed the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Water and Power committee last month that current arrears against KP government were almost negligible as the provincial government paid Rs500 million against Rs 186 billion arrears (including tariff increase plus fuel adjustment). The provincial government promised to pay the remaining difference on the behalf of public.