LANDI KOTAL: The traders and shopkeepers of Bara Bazaar on Tuesday threatened to besiege the local grid station and block Matani-Jamrud Road if duration of power loadshedding was not curtailed forthwith.

The traders held a demonstration outside Bara Press Club to condemn over 20-hour power suspension on daily basis that adversely affected their businesses.

Speaking on the occasion, Bara Tajir Union president Said Ayaz Wazir said that the local grid station staff during a meeting with them before the start of Ramazan promised to provide electricity for 10 hours continuously during the month of fasting.

He alleged that the grid station staff backtracked on the promise and resorted to excessive loadshedding on the pretext of overloading at various feeders.

`How can a feeder or transformer get overloaded when we have not used electricity for even half an hour,` he questioned.

Mr Wazir that even the inmates of Bara lockup were not spared and they had to bear long hours ofloadshedding in the hot and humid conditions inside their cells.

He said that Tribal Electric Supply Company had some times ago installe d 105 electricity meters at various business centres in Bara Bazaar with the assurance that the duration of loadshedding would be reduced to six to eight hours daily.

`How can we trust the Tesco staff when even the meter owners are not spared,` said Mr Wazir. He added that they were not fairly dealt with by Tesco and local grid station staff.

He alleged that 24-hour electricity was supplied to industrialunitsinAlamgudar and Karigar Garhai despite the fact that most of the unit owners had not yet installed power meters.

He said that the local grid station staff unlawfully diverted domestic electricity to industrial units in Alamgudar and Karigar Garhai and exposed domestic consumers to excessive loadshedding.

Meanwhile, the residents of Akkakhel complained that supply of electricity had been suspended to their area for the last two days that caused numerous problems to them during the month of fasting.

They said that alongside braving hot and humid weather, they were also facing acute shortage of water as most of the tubewells providing water to them could not be run without electricity.