DADU: Consumers of the Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) held separate demonstrations on Saturday as life has come to a standstill in Dadu and its adjoining region including Johi, KN Shah and Mehar towns due to unannounced and prolonged electricity load-shedding of up to15 hours a day.
Reportedly, protestors chanted full-throat slogans against SEPCO atrocities while holding banners and placards at SSP Chowk, and claimed that they had been suffering through water scarcity due to prolonged power outages in the scorching heat of summer.
Meanwhile, they appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan for resolving water and power crisis on the priority basis, and ensure prevention of ‘inflated’ electricity detection bills.
Furthermore, they demanded PM Imran Khan to constitute a probe committee headed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials to conduct an impartial inquiry into the alleged corruption by SEPCO officers, who had been issuing inflated bills of up to 2000 extra units to the consumers in Dadu.
Another rally was carried out in Mehar town by SEPCO consumers in Mehar against water shortage and load-shedding.
The protesters alleged that SEPCO officials had been supplying ‘illegal’ power to Ice, Cotton and Rice factories, hotels and many influential people.
Furthermore, another rally was carried out in Johi where a large number of people gathered and accused SEPCO officials of taking bribe of Rs 25,000 on monthly basis by supplying power to 600 tube wells in Kachta area of taluka Johi, and suspending power supply to residential areas.
Residents of KN Shah also staged a demonstration against SEPCO, and appealed to the PM Imran Khan and Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar for taking a stern action against irregularities in SEPCO department.
Published in Daily Times, August 26th 2018.
