CHITRAL: Residents of Reshun, Zait and Kuragh villages have restarted their protest movement following the expiry of a 15-day deadline given to the provincial government for rationalising power bills.
The consumers, who are fed by the 4.2-megawatt Reshun Hydropower Station operated by the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO), have been demanding an immediate review of their electricity tariffs.
According to a plan announced by the local action committee, named the Reshun Power Committee (RPC), the villagers will stage daily token sit-ins and block the strategic Chitral-Shandur Road for two hours each day. The committee warned that if their demands were not met by September 24, the vital artery will be blocked indefinitely.
Addressing the protesters at a dharna (sit-in) camp, RPC Chairman Syed Sardar Hussain Shah castigated the provincial government for repeatedly backing out of its promises. He criticised authorities for ignoring the ‘reasonable and genuine’ demands of the local population, who are seeking the cessation of inflated power bills in accordance with the national electricity tariff, especially since the powerhouse is a provincial asset.
Explaining the background of the dispute, Shah stated that PEDO began charging consumers Rs15 per unit matching the rates of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) after the Reshun Hydropower Station was washed away by floods a few years ago.
During that period, the provincial government purchased electricity from the federal grid to supply the area. However, Mr Shah argued that the high tariff had continued to be imposed despite the successful restoration and recommissioning of the local powerhouse.
The RPC chairman said the community had suspended its protest two weeks ago after receiving assurances from the government that the issue would be resolved.
However, a week-long visit by the delegation to the provincial capital produced no results, leaving the residents deeply disappointed as government officials failed to respond to their demands.
During Wednesday’s demonstration, enraged protesters completely blocked the main artery at Reshun to all types of traffic, causing long queues of stranded vehicles.
Theroadwasreopenedandnormaltrafficflowrestored after the scheduled two-hour blockade ended.