Separate electric meters to be installed at SU colony by April 30 in a bid to steer varsity out of prevailing financial crunch

A delegation of Hyderabad Electric Supply Corporation (HESCO) led by Chief Engineer Planning (CEP) Department Manzoor Hussain Soomro called on the vice chancellor Sindh University Prof. Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro and discussed in detail the matter regarding removal of bulk meter from the campus and installment of separate electricity meters outside the quarters and bungalows situated at SU colony in a bid to steer the varsity out of the prevailing financial crisis.

The HESCO delegation also presented their survey report on the installation of separate meters in the residential colony and other departments of the University of Sindh to the vice chancellor who granted approval to the report and gave a green signal to the delegation to carry out the fitting work of separate meters and complete it before April 30, 2021.

According to details, the meeting was held at VC office here at Sindh University which was attended by Chief Engineer Planning HESCO Manzoor Hussain Soomro, Director Planning Abdul Sattar Lashari, Deputy Director Planning Shahid Daudpoto, Deputy Director Farman Ali Dahani, Draftsman HESCO Muhammad Jamil Kori, project Director Sindh University Engr Abdul Wahab, Advisor Engineering Nisar Ahmed Sheikh, Executive Engineer Electrical Tanveer Gulfam, Executive Engineer  Civil Ghulam Shabbir Abbasi and others.

In the meeting, a one point agenda regarding installation of separate electricity meters on houses located in the SU’s residential colony was discussed. The Chief Engineer on the occasion submitted a survey report of his team carried out on the demand of SU authorities for installing meters in the residential colony, which was approved by VC Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro after meticulous consideration. The HESCO officials assured the vice chancellor of issuing demand notices about the meters soon.

HESCO CEP Engr Manzoor Soomro told the VC that they will take up the matter regarding installation of separate meters on the houses in residential colony from their Board of Governors (BoGs) and would take over the residential colony of the University of Sindh for the purpose. At the juncture, vice chancellor Dr. Kalhoro appreciated the efforts of HESCO's planning team and expressed hope that it would continue its cooperation with the University of Sindh in the future as well.

He said that due to bulk meter, the University of Sindh was paying a bill of around Rs. 20 million per month adding that the audit paras of the Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly were also present on the issue of having a bulk meter instead of that of installing separate meters for every consumer living in the colony.

He said that he would continue applying austerity measures so as to materialize the strategy devised to make all the financial matters transparent and bring the institution out of the current financial crunch.

HESCO CE on the occasion assured the vice chancellor Dr Kalhoro of their full cooperation and said that University of Sindh was the oldest and first educational institution of the country for which he also wanted to contribute as per his capacity.

He said that he would also be happy to serve the Alma Mater and noted that the installation of separate electric meters outside the houses of the residential colony would financially prove beneficial for the University of Sindh.