TESCO cuts power supply to Headquarters Ghalanai and Chanda Bazars of Mohmand.

By Fauzee Khan Mohmand

MOHMAND: The Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) has cuts power supply to the district headquarters Ghalanai and Chnada Bazars of Halimzai tehsil of the Mohmand district from the last four months.

Gulab Khan a shopkeeper in Ghalanai Bazar told that the Tesco has disconnected power supply to almost, 500 shops in the Ghalanai and Chanda bazars after the shopkeepers and traders refused to install power meters and paying bills at their bazars.

“We are facing numerous problems in this hot weather without fan and cold drinking water,” said Khan.

He accused the local grid officials that they are unlawfully colleting a major chunk of money from marble factories owners.

He said that at last Ramazan the shopkeeper approached to the local MNA Sajid Khan Mohmand and he negotiated with WAPDA officials and restored power supply for three hours and after that it was disconnected.

Another shopkeeper Ibrahim Khan in Chanda Bazar said that power supply to their shops and market was suspended despite that all the shopkeepers only utilizing one fan and ordinary lights.

He told that Ghalanai and Chanda are the local small markets which have no such large business and malls which will burden on WAPDA.

Wakeel Khan a shopkeeper in headquarters bazar said that WAPDA has disconnected power supply four months ago due to which our freezers were out of orders and the customers did not finding cold drinks and ice creams in the district headquarters bazar Ghalanai.

He demanded of the high ups of the WAPDA to restore the power supply to the local bazars and markets as supplied to the others parts of merged districts.

When contacted Ali Asghar Khan XEN Operation Northern Division TESCO said that we are supplying only two three hours power supply on subsidized rates only to the domestic users while Tesco has started a drive against those commercial consumers who are utilizing these subsidized power supply.

“ Local markets, bazars and shops are commercials that is why Tesco are installing power meters and those who refuses of meters their power supply connections were disconnected,” said Ali Asghar.

 Ali Asghar Khan said that the Tesco has set up three express line power feeders these are in Ekkaghund, Ghalanai and Khar Bajaur so that lightened the local markets of these area so that to attract more and more customers at dart timing.

He said that after that we kick off a power meters installation drive in these bazars but now, we are facing a strong resisting from Ghalanai and Chanda Bazars.

XEN told that when we are installing the power meters the shopkeepers are refusing and that is why Tesco has cut of the power supply from the last four months.

He added that we disconnected the power supply form the two bazars but sometime the shopkeepers reconnected their connections own at night timings which is an illegal and strict action will be taken against those who will be involved in it.

It will be mentioned here that Mohmand district is facing 22 hours power supply load shedding on domestic feeders due to which the local residents facing acute shortages of drinking water in the area.

The local residents demanded of the WAPDA high ups to reduce the irregular power outages in the area.

Tribesmen protests blocked Pak-Afghan Gursal route.

The local residents of border areas of Khewazai and Baizai protested and blocked the main Pak Afghan Gursal trade route with Afghanistan for their fundamental rights here on the other day.

The protesters led by a social activist and worker Tafseer Khan Momand and blocked the Pak-Afghan highway for several hours

The locals’ residents were protested and demanding for providing of PTCL landline, mobile network electricity supply to homes in Khewazai Baizai tehsils and to ensure attendance of relevant staffs in the basic health units and schools.

In the end Chairmans of the Khewazai Baizai Sub-Division Maulana Bismillah John Rahimi held talks with DSP Jan Muhammad and Tehsildar Abdur Rahman and dispersed the protest in all peaceful ways.

The protestors have given a deadline till Eid-ul-Adha, if all these issues are not resolved, they will boycott the polio drops and close the Main Peshawar Bajaur express way at Karapa.