PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has decided to disconnect electricity supply to over 68 government departments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) due to non-payment of outstanding electricity bills.
These provincial government departments have to pay approximately Rs. 6.90 billion to PESCO. Repeated notices regarding unpaid bills have been issued to them, however, the outstanding dues have not been paid thus far. Reportedly, a final notice has now been issued to these government departments, after which no further leniency will be extended. This move aims to enforce timely payment of electricity bills.
Among the government departments with outstanding electricity bills in KP, the Provincial Education Department tops the list with unpaid dues exceeding Rs. 3.57 bn. Additionally, the Police Department owes more than Rs. 310 mn, the Public Health Engineering Department owes over Rs. 152 mn, the Health Department’s dues exceed Rs. 464 mn, and the Higher Education Department has outstanding dues of Rs. 227 mn. Furthermore, the Department of Auqaf (Religious Affairs) owes more than Rs. 113 mn, the Forest Department has approximately Rs. 7.01 mn in unpaid bills, and the Works and Services Department has an outstanding balance of Rs. 42.87 mn.
Various other developments, including prison department, owe approximately Rs. 61.96 mn. The TMAs (Tehsil Municipal Administrations), primary schools, and health facilities, among others, also have pending payments. In this regard, TMAs in Peshawar owe Rs. 162.07 mn, Traffic Street Lights have unpaid bills of Rs. 97.78 mn, TMA Haripur Tube Wells owe approximately Rs. 71.29 mn, Union Councils owe Rs. 65.63 mn, and TMA Tank Tube Wells have an outstanding amount of Rs. 60.09 mn.
According to sources, the federal government has also directed that, in cases of non-payment of electricity bills by provincial government departments, deductions should be made from the provinces’ Annual Development Program (ADP) allocations to cover the outstanding electricity bills.
