Free electricity for Wapda employees illegal
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday ordered Wapda to provide uninterrupted electricity to the consumers who pay their electricity bills. The court directed consumers to lodge FIR against Pesco if they pay bills and still face the power outage and ordered police to cooperate with complainants in this connection. The Court also ordered Pesco and Wapda to stop supplying free of cost electricity to their employees, saying that it was illegal and unconstitutional. Morover, the court observed that Wapda employees even make money from free electricity by selling it to the public. “Instead of providing them free electricity units, Wapda employees should be monetarily compensated,” the court said. Peshawar HC Chief Justice, Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, issued a seven-page detailed verdict in unannounced loadshedding case. “Those who pay their bills should not be punished for the sake of those who do not,” the verdict read. The verdict further read that this was immoral and unethical not to provide electricity to people paying their bills on time. Seth said that it was the responsibility of PESCO and WAPDA to make recoveries from the consumers who avoid paying bills. The high court directed Pesco to take action against those who do not pay their bills. The verdict stated that Pesco has been providing uninterrupted power supply to some places where there is no recovery and it has no power to collect bills from those areas. “If 48% people do not pay their bill, still it is the responsibility of Pesco to provide uninterrupted electricity to 52 percent people who pay. Staff Reporter
