FAISALABAD: The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) has been facing a shortage of 100,000 meters for the last couple of months which is creating a plethora of problems for the domestic and commercial consumers.

The company is neither installing new meters nor has it made any arrangements for replacement of the faulty ones which are causing overbilling issues, ulti-mately inflicting financial losses on the consumers.

Fesco spokesman Tahir Sheikh admitted that the company has been facing a severe shortage of meters; however, new meters supply will be started within a couple of days.

Dawn talked to a consumer, Qaiser, who has paid several visitstotheGhulamMuhammadabad division in the last couple of months for installation of a new meter but the staff are not providing him with an application form, citing the company is facing a shortage of meters. However, some employees are ready to make an underhand deal with him, he reveals.

Qaiser has visited the abovementioned division a number of times to obtain the application form mandatory for new meter.

However, the Fesco officials cate-gorically refuse to issue him the form, citing meters shortage. He alleges that a Fesco employee offered him an underhand deal, assuring him that a meter would be installed within two weeks if he pays him Rs20,000. However, Qaiser refused to accept the offer.

Sources say new meters are not being installed but Fesco is amassing money from the public by issuing them demand notices.

Currently, hundreds of people are waiting for installation of new meters for domestic and commercial connections as they have fulfilled all the formalities required by Fesco, including payment of demand notice fee.

The sources say Fesco had issued a tender for new meters a couple of months ago which was cancelled as the manufacturers had joined hands against the company and they quoted Rs1,800per meter price. The company asked the bidders to provide it with the gadgets at Rs1,250 per meter. However, the bidders refused to revise the price.Fesco told them that it would issue an international tender and companies from China, US, Japan and other countries would also take part in bidding and cancelled the issued tender. At this, the bidders panicked and they revised their rates. At last, a company has been awarded a contract to supply meters to Fesco at its desired rates and the company would start receiving supply within a couple of days.

Talking to Dawn, a Fesco official, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that a couple of months ago the company had requested Mepco to supply it 5,000 meters but the request was turned down.

Officials at the office of thechief executive officer (CEO) have also failed to keep a check on performance of the store officials to ensure availability of the required gadgets, including meters, he added. Sensing shortage of meters, he adds, installation of new meters is still out of question.

Fesco spokesman Tahir Sheikh says the company would receive 350,000 meters within next couple of days as the company has succeeded to purchase meters according to the government requirements.

He says the engineers have inspected the meters and the company would waste no time to accommodate the consumers. He says that after the supply of meters, the company`s priority would be set and it would ensure electricity connections for all consumers.