Wapda workers demand cut in electricity cost

LAHORE:Electricity and Wapda workers held a large rally Wednesday under the aegis of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union to reduce the high cost of electricity.

The workers were carrying national flags and banners in support of their demands. They urged prime minister to intervene to reduce the high cost of electricity of private thermal powerhouse, which had raised their prices more than two hundred times.

General Secretary of the union Khurshid Ahmad while addressing the workers said that Wapda had been providing electricity to DISCOs at the rate of Rs4.50 per unit while private thermal powerhouses had been providing electricity at Rs40 to the DISCOs. This has resulted in suffering of the people, industries, agriculture and commerce, he claimed.

They also demanded the prime minister to intervene to put an end to accidents of line staff. Due to non-recruitment of line staff and other staff for the last six years, the quantum of work is increasing day by day on the limited number of workers.

They urged the government to provide security to the electricity workers during the prevention of theft of electricity like Railways and Sui Gas workers get. He said that 50,000 FIRs were lodged for theft of electricity but not a single accused has been punished.

Haji Younas, Osama Tariq, Rana Shakoor, Muzaffar Mateen, Hassan Munir Bhatti, Nosher Khan, Haji Liaqat, Malik Zahid, Liaqat Ali Gujjar, Rana Shahbaz, Naveed Ashiq Dogar, Aman Ullah Khan, Rana Shafiq and others also addressed the meeting.