Although the University has cleared all the bills, the HESCO staff has suspended power supply adversely affecting ongoing research experiments – Spokesman
Tandojam, Sindh
Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tando Jam is without electricity since last three days as the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) has suspended the power supply to the university campus and its residential colony.
The power supply disconnection has resulted in damage to ongoing research experiments and the potential loss of vital DNA and RNA samples. These samples, painstakingly collected and preserved over a period of 10 years, represent a significant national scientific asset, the spokesman of the university said.
While the power cut by HESCO has not only plunged the academic and administrative departments, hostels and residential colonies of the university in darkness, the ongoing experiments in the university are also being severely damaged.
According to the statement issued on Monday, the spokesman said that there are disputes between the residents of the colony and HESCO staff on the issues of over and wrong billing and detection. “But where is the wisdom of shutting down the electricity of a scientific and educational institution of the country,” he said adding that the local staff of HESCO have tried to mislead the HESCO and the district administrations by giving wrong information.
He informed that the current bills to the university have been duly settled, with a payment of Rs.4.8 million, for the bills of 14 transformers on the university campus, while the bills of 4 out of the 7 transformers in the University Colony are clear, and the bills for the remaining 3 transformers and the amount of Rs.1.8 million out of the current Rs.2.4 million has been paid.
He said that the loss of power has resulted in the deterioration and potential loss of experimental samples for Ph.D. and Masters Students in the university laboratories. “This loss has a direct impact on the progress of scientific research and represents a setback for the entire nation.”
He said that the university has a dedicated and express feeder, and a grid station has been constructed on 10 acres of university land in Tandojam, and as per the agreement, the university is exempted from load shedding.
The spokesman said that Federal Minister of Water and Power Khurram Dastageer, Chairman WAPDA and the top management of HESCO should take immediate notice of the matter and restore the power supply. (PR)
_____________
