Sindh CM concerned over prolonged load-shedding in province

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KARACHI: Chief Minister (CM) Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah expressing grave concerns over prolonged load-shedding particularly in the rural areas has said it not only affected routine life but adversely hurt the business activities.

Addressing the exporters meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the residence of Chairman Board of Investment Dr. Miftah Ismail here on Thursday, Syed Murad Ali Shad said that it is quite painful that prolonged load-shedding in the province, particularly in the areas of SESCO and HECO has caused problems for the people.

“Weather in Southern and Northern parts of Sindh is still sweltering and top of it prolonged power outage and burning of transformers and reluctance of the concerned authorities to replace them are some serious issues,” he said and urged the Premier to take its serious notice and direct the concerned authorities to resolve the issue. He also raised the issue of inflated electricity bills being given to the poor people in the rural areas. The people living in a house of two-rooms have to pay a huge bill. “I know the power rates are high but it doesn’t mean to fleece the poor people,” he said and added that the HESCO and SESCO deliberately do not install meters in slump areas and allow kunda connections and this system ends up in corruption.

Syed Murad Ali Shah reiterated his stance that the solution of serious power crisis lies in Sindh. “We have hue coals deposits to generate electricity and also Sindh has vast wind and solar energy corridors,” he said and added just Sindh needs the support and cooperation of the prime minister to generate electricity.

The Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister that he would extend his full support to Thar coal and renewable energy projects and has already directed Ministry of Water & Power to decide tariff and other related issues.

He also assured the Sindh government that he would directed the concerned authorities to reduce load-shedding duration. —INP