Govt departments, residents owe DABs 900m afs

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Government departments and residents owe about 900 million afghanis to Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat (DABS) in unpaid power bills in southern Kandahar province, an official said on Sunday.

DABS chief for Kandahar Amanullah Farooqi told Pajhwok Afghan News government departments had to pay the power utility 500 million afs and residents 400 million afs.

Without naming any department or individuals, he said DABS had set a one-month deadline for paying the arrears. Otherwise the defaulters’ names would be disclosed to media.

He added the power utility had introduced 15 defaulting individuals to judicial organs. Faroqi has also shared the issues with the governor house and asked it for cooperation.

Bahir Ahmadi, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok a meeting in unpaid power bills had decided that letters should be sent to government departments and residents to clear the arrears.

The meeting, chaired by the governor, decided to share the names of defaulters would be shared with media if the defaulting consumers did not pay their bills within a month.

Farooqi said the water level in Kajaki dam was 51 metres and it produced 30MWs of electricity. 10MWs are being utilized in Kajaki, Zamindar and Musa Qala districts, 3MWs in Sangin, 6.5MWs in Lashkargah and the remaining 10.5MWs in Kandahar.

He informed with the implementation of a number of projects, 80 percent electricity need of the province would be met by the end of 2020.

He explained 60 percent of work on the 220MW electricity scheme from Ghazi to Kandahar had been completed and the remaining job was going on smoothly.

On the other hand, he said work was also underway on the second phase of Kajaki dam, whose power generation level would increase to 100MWs.

Work is also underway on a 40MW solar power plant in Kandahar and a 15-MW plant was inaugurated by the president a few months back.

sa/mud