City Council demands NTDC supply cheap electricity to Karachi

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) City Council unanimously passed a resolution against K-Electric on Monday, demanding that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) take action against KE, and that power be supplied to the city through the National Transmission & Dispatch Company (NTDC) at lower rates.

The resolution was presented by Saifuddin Advocate, the Jamaat-e-Islami’s parliamentary party leader in the City Council. He said KE has become a powerful entity in the city that has been protected by various governments. He stressed that it is KE’s responsibility to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the city.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab held the general meeting of the City Council. Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad and Municipal Commissioner SM Afzal Zaidi also attended the session, during which 13 resolutions were unanimously passed.

In a unanimously passed resolution, the City Council congratulated Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for being elected as president of Pakistan with a huge majority.

Another JI resolution congratulating City Council member Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on becoming the party’s emir was also passed unanimously. PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was also congratulated for being elected MNA unopposed from NA-207, and for getting the status of first lady.

Through a resolution, a committee consisting of 12 members was formed to bring improvement at KMC-run hospitals under public-private partnership. The City Council reduced the fee for sacrificial cows, bulls, calves and camels entering Karachi from Rs1,000 to Rs600, and the fee for goats and sheep from Rs500 to Rs300.

In another resolution about valet parking fees collection by the KMC’s Charged Parking Department, it was approved that Rs5,000 would be collected from every banquet and wedding hall constructed over 400-500 square yards.

For 600 square yards Rs10,000 a month will be collected, while for marriage lawns of 1,000 square yards Rs12,000 will be charged. The City Council also passed the resolution to change the name of the children’s ward of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to Waseela Jahan Children’s Ward.

During the City Council’s proceedings, matters regarding KE were discussed in detail, and a resolution condemning load-shedding and over-billing by the power company was passed. The JI resolution said that with the onset of severe heat, KE has increased load-shedding, causing a severe impact on the water supply in the city, adding that the power utility has resorted to cutting off supply of even the load-shedding-free areas.

The resolution also pointed out that students taking their examinations have been facing difficulties due to the power situation, and demanded immediate action against KE as well as uninterrupted electricity supply.

The resolution said Karachi’s people are forced into buying electricity only from KE, and that too at exorbitant rates, despite which they face three to 18 hours of power outages on a daily basis.

The resolution also said that the consumers who regularly pay their power bills are being punished by KE, which is against Nepra’s laws. The resolution demanded that Nepra take action against KE, and that the NTDC supply power to the city at cheaper rates.