Weekly Bang-e-sahar, Saturday,April 12-18,2008
By Our Correspondent
SKARDU: Frequent power breakdown in the town has not only made public life miserable but has also pitched consumers and staff of the power utility against each other.
One such incident occurred the other day when the residents of Aliabad took to the streets against loadshedding. However, when none of the officials of the electricity department came out to talk to the protesters, they lost temper and pelted the house of resident engineer Ghulam Hyder with stones. But instead of resolving the problem, the department of water and power tried to avenge the attack on their chief’s house by cutting the supply of electricity and water to the town for two hours the following day.
The staff of the department also lodged complaints with the local administration that their lives were in danger at the hands of the consumers and they should be provided protection.
In protest against the attitude of the department, people of other localities including Jaffery Mohalla, Radio Pakistan and Gumba also held protest demonstrations against the department.
The people warned the department that if it failed to overcome the problem forthwith, their protest would be extended to whole town.
