PTI, JI leaders playing politics on power supply to Upper Chitral: MNA

He said people of Upper Chitral continued to suffer but local leaders of the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami, who are coalition partners in the KP government, are playing dirty politics on the supply of electricity to Upper Chitral. PEDO did nothing to end the power crisis in the area and failed to reconstruct the damaged powerhouse. Even worse, now when the 108 MW Golen Gol powerhouse of WAPDA has started generation and there is surplus electricity, PEDO has adopted delaying tactics to buy power and supply it to the consumers of Upper Chitral where it owns the transmission lines. The MNA said that he along with the MPAs and the district nazim of Chitral met the chief secretary and the secretary energy KP two days ago and during the meeting it was agreed that PEDO would submit a formal application to PESCO. “I also met the chief executive officer (CEO) of PESCO who in my presence spoke on phone to the secretary energy and offered him to electrify Upper Chitral within an hour of submission of formal application by PEDO.” According to the PESCO chief, all PEDO needs to end suffering of consumers in Upper Chitral was to submit the application form and leave all other matters such as power tariffs for one point metering supply for Upper Chitral. But PEDO comes with all sort of lame excuses i.e  PESCO has no requisite arrangements and sometimes they argue about tariffs. People of Upper Chitral held a protest on Wednesday and have announced to hold a long march on Feb 2 to Golen Gol a before the prime minister is scheduled to visit Chitral.

I will not contact PEDO any more and will convey the same message to the district police officer of Chitral at a meeting called by him on Thursday to discuss law and order. PEDO has not given an affirmative response to the chairman WAPDA and the PESCO chief since past one year and people continue to suffer. Meanwhile, local leaders of PTI and JI, whose parties are coalition partners in the KP government, are playing dirty politics.

Yet again, the MNA added, Zainullah, Planning Officer PEDO, says they will submit a formal application to PESCO tomorrow. I hope they honour what they say as actions speak louder than words.]]>