Yasmeen Sana Baloch
It was the thirteenth time when I switched off the all buttons on the switchboard and was afraid of losing any expensive appliance. We were looking towards the bulb and were waiting for the electricity to light up the room but the people of Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) helped me recall the old days of School and I felt that I have been punished to carry on sitting and standing for the rest of my life.
It is not the story of only our house, but it is the story of every house in Panjgur. Panjgur has been facing unscheduled load-shedding and tripping of electricity for many years. Panjgur is mostly populated with middle-class families and many of them have lost their appliances due to the unscheduled load-shedding. Panjgur has been very unfortunate in case of getting a nice infrastructure, responsible officers, employees, and out-spoken public. Due to the fact, that the Public is silent, the unbearable behavior of QESCO remains the same throughout the four seasons.
In summer, the lower and middle class is punished with the extreme sentence of hotness without any Air Conditioner and fan. As a matter of fact, every single person cannot afford to buy Solar System, UPS, or generator therefore they manage to spend their chaotic days without uttering any word. In winter, people are punished with the punishment of severe cold weather, and likewise, all people cannot afford to buy wood, gas cylinders, and heaters. The poor public, honest government servants, and students suffer the most during this scenario. People switch on their geezers at night and the temperature of the water remains the same till the next night. People are compelled to ignite the fire and heat the water for ablution and other uses.
Many times the SDO and other concerned people have been called to the Session court but they anyhow blame the public for this situation.
QESCO says that the people of Panjgur do not pay the electricity bills, there is excessive load, and people switch illegal wires to get electricity. On the contrary, the public of Panjgur says that they never get electricity for which they should pay electricity bill because, during the twenty-four hours, they only get electricity for thirty minutes. Secondly, if illegal wires are switched for electricity, that is only because of the irresponsibility of QESCO. The people of Panjgur claim that if they are provided with sufficient electricity, they will pay the bill and also cut the extra wires.
A few days ago, Naseer Uddin’s house in Chitkan burst into ashes due to a short circuit, and soon everything in the house converted into fire and ashes. Contrary to this issue, if people complain against QESCO Panjgur, then the employees either obsessively cut off the wires of that region or cut off the electricity from the Feeder from QESCO.
This piece is to help recall the oaths and responsibilities of the authorities concerned, public, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner to kindly pay heed towards the oppressed Panjgur.
The Public of Panjgur needs the resignation of the current SDO and all other workers in QESCO Panjgur who are playing with the residents of Panjgur. It should be made compulsory to provide efficient electricity to Panjgur and electricity should not burn the houses of poor people due to short circuit anymore.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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