Chitral Villagers Resume Protest Over High Electricity Bills
CHITRAL: Residents of Reshun, Zait and Kuragh villages have resumed their protest over high electricity bills after a 15-day deadline given to the provincial government to review the tariff expired without a resolution.
The affected consumers receive electricity from the 4.2-megawatt Reshun Hydropower Station, which is operated by the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO). Local residents are demanding a revision of the electricity rates being charged in the area.
Daily Sit-Ins and Road Blockades Planned
The Reshun Power Committee (RPC) has announced a series of protests, including daily token sit-ins and a two-hour blockade of the Chitral-Shandur Road.
The committee has warned that if its demands are not addressed by September 24, protesters could extend the road blockade indefinitely.
During a protest gathering, RPC Chairman Syed Sardar Hussain Shah criticised the provincial government over what he described as repeated delays in resolving the electricity tariff issue.
He said residents were seeking electricity charges in line with the national tariff, particularly because the power station supplying the area is a provincial asset.
Dispute Over Rs15 Per Unit Electricity Rate
According to the RPC chairman, PEDO started charging consumers Rs15 per unit after the Reshun Hydropower Station was damaged by floods several years ago.
At that time, the provincial government reportedly obtained electricity from the federal grid to maintain supplies to the affected area. Shah said the same tariff continued even after the local hydropower station was restored and brought back into operation.
The residents are now calling for the electricity billing system to be reviewed following the recommissioning of the hydropower facility.
Earlier Assurances Failed to Resolve Issue
The local action committee had suspended its protest around two weeks earlier after receiving assurances that the government would address the matter.
However, an RPC delegation travelled to the provincial capital for discussions during a week-long visit but reportedly returned without a solution.
The lack of progress prompted residents to restart their protest campaign.
Chitral-Shandur Road Blocked
During Wednesday’s demonstration, protesters blocked the main road at Reshun for two hours, stopping traffic in both directions.
The blockade resulted in long queues of vehicles on the important Chitral-Shandur route.
Traffic movement returned to normal after the protesters ended the scheduled two-hour blockade, but the RPC has indicated that further action could follow if the electricity tariff dispute remains unresolved.
