In a statement, issued here on Monday, Abdul Sattar Khan who is also the Chairman Sub-Committee of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on HESCO said that government was making all out efforts to activate the SME sector by considering it as the economic backbone, but the irresponsible attitude of the HESCO management causing severe damage to this sector.
He said that the ban on commercial connections is a major hurdle in trade development and the situation become more harmful after issuing threats of disconnection of electricity connections of those commercial consumers who have not installed separate transformers on over 5 kilowatt load.
Despite depositing the demand notes, the power connections are not being provided to traders while the detection and over billings is causing unrest among the business community of Hyderabad, he said and added that Superintending Engineers and Sub-Divisional Officers are not paying any attention towards the complaints of consumers and their rights are being usurped with threats of power disconnections.
He also criticised the policy of HESCO management over appointment of non-resident Sub-Divisional Officers in operation sub-divisions adding that because of having no realization of local circumstances, these SDOs are unable to resolve the issues of consumers and such situation moving towards clash between the consumers and HESCO.
He demanded the appointment of those officers as SDO who are the residents of Hyderabad and fully aware of the local issues of consumers.
He was also critical over the attitude of Chief Executive Officer HESCO who he alleged that continuously neglecting the trade and business community of Hyderabad.
The HCCI wanted to resolve the issues of trade and business community as well as domestic consumers and if HESCO management continued such practice, the HCCI will raise the issue with State Minister for Water and Power to FPCCI, he said.