PESHAWAR: The power consumers belonging to various localities of the provincial capital on Wednesday blocked the Bara Road and also protested outside the SDO office against the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding, and warned to besiege the Wapda House if smooth power supply was not ensured.

The protesters coming from different areas like Swati Phattak, Shaheen Colony, Nawan Kili, Nasir Korona and Umeedabad shouted against the federal government and Peshawar Electric Supply Company and alleged that the power supply meant for their areas was given to other localities.

Iftikhar Khan, an elder, said the people of the localities were facing prolonged loadshedding and the authorities were least bothered to pay attention towards their complaints. He said the people were paying power bills regularly but even then they were subjected to severe power cuts, adding the crushing machines in Bazidkhel were given uninterrupted power supply at the cost of domestic consumers.

Sadiq Babo, another elder, said the loadshedding had caused acute water shortage in different localities in the hot and humid weather, forcing residents to come onto the streets.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after assurance by the area police that their complaints would be conveyed to the relevant ofhcials ofPesco.

However, Pesco spokesman Shaukat Afzal said that line losses in the above mentioned areas were 91 per cent and it was policy of the power company to carry out loadshedding in such areas. Bureau Report