BAJAUR AGENCY: The Tribal Electricity Supply Company (TESCO) authorities have disconnected power connections of marble factories in Bajaur Agency after the owners refused to install electricity meters.
A senior official of TESCO told APP that this extreme step of disconnection of power supply to marble factories was taken after the expiry of the set deadline given to the owners for an installation of electricity meters.
He said several warnings and deadlines were issued to the owners of the marble factories for installation of meters but they failed to do so; Tesco was left with no option but to disconnect power supply besides preventing power stealing.
The TESCO official said that power supply would remain disconnected until the owners installed meters. The official said power stealing would not be allowed in Bajaur Agency as the company has a zero tolerance policy against this evil.
On the other hand, a senior office bearer of All Bajaur Marble Factory Association Tufail Khan claimed that neither a deadline was given to us by the TESCO nor we were taken into confidence before disconnection of power supply.
He said owners of marble factory paid thousands of rupees under the head of electricity charges to the TESCO and disconnection of power would make hundreds of labourers jobless.
He said power supply have been disconnected for the last two weeks and resultantly 22 marble factories were closed down in the agency, making about 300 labourers jobless, losses aside.
Tufail said we are ready to install meters if TESCO fulfils its promise of providing 220 voltages to marble factories. He demanded an immediate restoration of power supply to marble factories in Bajaur Agency.
