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Fesco defers agri tubewells bills payment to May 31

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: The Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) has deferred the payment of electricity bills of private agricultural tubewells up to May 31, 2000.

Explaining this Brig Mohammad Aslam Khan, Chief Executive, Fesco said that a number of incentives have been given to the farmers including exemption from the levy of extra charges like mark-up and late payment surcharge.

He said that other financial incentives include free re-connection of disconnected tubewell without payment of material cost within one year of disconnection, re-connection after one year of disconnection on down payment of 10 percent of arrears, while balance will be recovered in equal monthly instalments up to June, 2000, subject to 15 percent mark-up per annum. He said that new connection will be given on the payment of 25 percent down payment of capital cost and balance will be payable in quarterly or monthly instalments as per option in two years. New tubewell connection on signle phase motors up to five horse power will be provided, while 25 percent reduction in power tariff will also be available under the package up to May 31, 2000, he added. In this connection, 10 percent incentive per annum on advance of electricity bills equivalent to an amount of three month average bills will be given with waiver of late payment surcharge on paying arrears in lump sum on re-connection, he added.

The connection will be available up to June 30, 2000, while re-connection will be allowed on (pre-paid) existing security at the time of disconnection, he said and added that the relief package will further facilitate the private agricultural tubewell customers in addition to the 56 percent reduction in power tariff for private agricultural tubewells effective from December 16, 1999 against the 1998 tariff. He said that this has been brought down from Rs 4.27 per kwh (1998) to Rs 1.87 per kwh for the consumers in Fesco and from 3.65 per kwh to Rs 1.99 per kwh for the consumers of under developed district of Mianwali.

Brig Aslam said that the present rates of agricultural tariff are much less than the flat rate tariff. However, he said that Wapda would bear Rs 4 billion from its own exchequer for providing this subsidy to the agriculture sector all over the country.