A complete shutter-down strike was again observed on Sunday on the call of Shehri (Residents) Action Committee (SAC) against deviation by SEPCO authorities from their commitment of decreasing electricity load shedding in Bhutto leaders hometown from 16 hours to 6 hours a day.
The commitment was made during the talks held between responsible SEPCO authorities, Ratodero Assistant Commissioner Dr Mbdharejo, DSP Naundero Yaseen Tagar and the SAC leaders Ghulam Hyder Narejo, Manzoor Mangi and others on last Thursday due to which the citizens ended their 3-days continuous sit-in staged in front of grid station. According to the commitment announced by AC Ratodero 8-hours load shedding would be carried out but the SEPCO betrayed and resorted again to 10 to 12 hours within two days of reaching an agreement which infuriated the citizens and they again closed down their town in protest, burnt tyres, staged large sit-in on Khooni roundabout, where they also held a massive protest demonstration.
They chanted slogans against the concerned government authorities and elected representatives of this area as well demanding fulfilment of their promise or else, they warned, that their agitation would continue and sit-in would again be staged opposite to grid station which would go on till their just demand was accepted and commitment was honoured in letter and spirit. The SAC leaders including Ghulam Hyder Narejo, Manzoor Mangi, Javed Bhutto and others while talking to PPI on Sunday said it was fraud with the respected residents because they were demanding electricity as per the announcement of prime minister but local SEPCO authorities were misguiding higher authorities to hide their own corruption and not putting this 80,000 population town on single feeder to curb power theft and implementation of prime minister’s order.
They said people wanted to pay the bills monthly and regularly once meters were installed by the SEPCO authorities and proper bills with actual meter readings were sent to them but they (SEPCO) were delaying the process to illegally earn money for their own pockets for which they should be taken to task forthwith. General impression among the denizens here is that PPP has forced SEPCO authorities to carry out unannounced prolonged load shedding so that their voters and supporters should remember them and their previous rule because no load shedding was done here during the previous period because of regular arrival of VVIPs at the graves of Bhutto leaders.
