SHANGLA: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) claimed on Tuesday to have disconnected electricity connections to offices of district nazim, district police of ficer, assistant commissioner and line departments over nonpayment of dues.

Pesco SDO, Alpuri tehsil, Fahim Sultan Sham, said action had been initiated against the defaulters in the district headquarters. He added that electricity supply had also been cut to the office of special assistant to chief minister, assistant commissioner revenue, tehsildar office and Alpuri rest house.

He said the defaulters had not paid dues amounting to millions of rupees during last three years despite repeated reminders by Pesco.

The Pesco official said the district nazim`s of fice had taken illegal power connection and owed over Rs40,000 dues; special assistant to chief minister Rs88,000, assistant commissioner revenue Rs73,000, Macharh guest house Rs600,000, tehsildar Alpuri Rs160,000, DPO office and police lines Rs146,000, respectively.

The official said the action against defaulters and power thieves would continue in the subdivision.

Meanwhile, elders of Bisham city and adjoining areas expressed regret over excessive loadshedding in the tehsil.

Speaking at a meeting with assistant commissioner Javed Iqbal, they said a faulty grid station had yet to be repaired.

Bisham action committee chairman Haider Ali, Pesco SDO Mohammad Ali, and others were in attendance.

The elders said people of Bisham donated land for Khan Khwar power project, but they were subjected to prolonged loadshedding, even during Ramazan despite the fact the tehsil had been exempted from loadshedding.

The Pesco official said they were facing difficulties due to overloaded grid station, and said the loadshedding problem would end if the grid station was upgraded.

However, the elders threatened to block the Karakoram Highway if the issue was not resolved within five days. Correspondent