PA seeks action to ensure KE protects consumers’ interests

The Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday asking the provincial government to approach the federal authorities so that it could direct the privatised K-Electric to adopt the system of time of usage (ToU) metering and billing to safeguard the legitimate economic interests of the power consumers in Karachi.

Opposition lawmaker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Khurrum Sher Zaman moved the private resolution, which gained the support of both the treasury and opposition legislators in the House.

The resolution read, “This House resolves that the Sindh government approach the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and the Federal Ministry of Water and Power to get K-Electric to move immediately towards Time of Usage (ToU) metering and billing. K-Electric was notified on 22 September, 2016 by Nepra vide letter No. TCD 09/6196-2016 to expedite the installation of ToU meters for all categories of consumers and start billing on a ToU tariff basis where such meters have already been installed. Moreover, the ToU metering/billing facility is legally covered under currently applicable SRO 571(I)2016 dated 24 June, 2016 as approved by Nepra and issued by the Federal Ministry of Water and Power. In addition, K-Electric should install ToU meters throughout the rest of Karachi as soon as possible in order that all Karachiites can benefit from ToU tariffs. The time has come for K-Electric to stop looting Karachiites with its high tariffs and highhandedness.”

Speaking on his resolution, the PTI legislator said the K-Electric had been fleecing consumers in Karachi under different pretexts.

He said Nepra had approved a rate of Rs18 per unit during the peak time of consumption of electricity from 6pm to 10pm daily while for rest of the day the cost was Rs12.5. However, he added, the K-Electric was charging Rs18 per unit round the clock, he added.

He said power consumers in Karachi were facing exploitation through inflated power bills and had to wait for hours outside the customer service centres of the K-Electric every day but their complaints remained unresolved.

Zaman pointed out that the privatised power utility had generated revenue that was 40 percent more than what Karachi’s consumers should have paid. He alleged that the K-Electric was generating billions of rupees through its exploitative means and now when it had become public knowledge that it was being sold to a Chinese company, no authority was questioning this deal.

He added it was sheer injustice that even different departments of the Sindh government and provincial assembly were being issued inflated power bills.

The PTI lawmaker called for forming a parliamentary committee comprising lawmakers, who should summon the management of the K-Electric in the assembly to grill them about their exploitative steps.

S-III project

The House also unanimously adopted a resolution calling upon the federal government to provide assistance to the Sindh government to complete the sewage treatment system S-III at the earliest so that there the discharge of wastewater into sea without treatment could be stopped. The private resolution was moved by PTI lawmaker Dr Seema Zia. She said the constant release of sewage into sea without treatment every day had endangered the lives of citizens.

Urdu as official language

A resolution moved by Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Kamran Akhtar for the implementation of Urdu language as the official language in the province was rejected through a majority vote.