Daily Times

The Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) Khyber chapter started installing electricity meters at government schools and buildings. It is first ever that electricity meters have been fixed in ex-tribal regions after abolishing century old law, Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR) and merging of the area to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KP)province.

On the condition of anonymity, a WAPDA official of operation department told that in first phase meters have been at some of state-run educational institutions, custom colony and government installment in Landi Kotal. In second stage, electricity meter would be fitted at all residencies, shops and other private properties.

With installment of the meters, the official added, WAPDA would initiate smooth supply of electricity to the area that was reluctant in past due to nonpaying of consumer bills and the residents would get rid of excessive load shedding. “Like elsewhere in the country, the power supply of those who will not pay will be disconnected”, the official argued.

A social worker, Fazal Rehman expressed his annoy on the new development and said that schools and health centers etc. located in the area lacked basic needs including electricity. The concerned department has put extra financial burden on the institutions in form of utility bills to reduce its competence to nil.

“Some elements are deliberately engaging in introduction of unpopular initiatives in the ex-tribal regions to dishearten the tribesmen and foil the merging scheme”, he argued.

He suggested that since long tribesmen had been ignored therefore, the department first deliver and then gradually extend net tax and consumers bills to the merged tribal districts.

Murad Hussain Afridi,local leader of Jamat-e-Islami said that they had been strive hard to win a better life for their pro-tribesmen and had supported merging to avail development for their new generation. But unluckily they situation was deteriorated in merged tribal districts. The incumbent government extended police and taxes system to the area to secure its own interests and turned blind eyes towards negligence of the poor segments of the tribal society. The decision of installing of electricity meters was part of it. Funds had not been allocated in the budget to reconstruct the demolished schools in the ex-tribal belt but fixing electricity meters was priority of the government, he lamented. He urged the government to facilitate the tribal in earliest and vowed that they would retaliate against every anti-tribesmen action of the government.