Sindh Electrical Inspectors Dept non-functional for 14 years

KARACHI: Work of supervisory body for inspection of electrical installations and checking of safety measures for protection from electricity hazards at all public places is under suspension for the last 14 years in the Sindh province. According to documentary evidence available with The News, the work of ‘Electrical Inspectors Department’, an attached department of Sindh Energy Department, was suspended on August 13, 2003 only in Sindh, including its capital Karachi.

This unique order suspending the work of supervisory body only in Sindh province had put thousands of human lives in danger. It was issued by a deputy secretary of the Sindh government, a grade-18 officer, without mentioning the reason of deferral. The Department of Electrical Inspector is the only supervisory body in all the four provinces, established in 1910 under Electricity Act 1910, working under Electricity Rules 1937 for the initial inspection of electrical installations, wiring, material and appliances; safety measures of electricity hazards and verification of electricity load in all public places. The Department of Electrical Inspectors is working effectively in all the other three provinces Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

An officer of the Sindh Energy Department, on the condition of anonymity, said the constitutional and legal role of Electrical Inspector Department which deals with the human lives was ceased in 2003 from only Sindh province due to the will and wishes of some industrialists who then had joined then government of Dictator Muhsraf era.

Apart from the big numbers of government, private offices, shopping malls, small and medium industrial units all over province, only at Karachi there are eight mega industrial units: Bin Qasim Industrial Zone, Federal B Industrial Area, Karachi Export Processing Zone, Korangi Creek Industrial Park., Korangi Industrial Area, North Karachi Industrial Area, Pakistan Textile City and SITE Industrial Area are exempted from all kinds of electrical inspection since last 14 years.

Before this exemption any government, private office, industrial unit, commercial unit such as shopping malls and all public places could get electricity connection after the initial inspection of electricity, its wiring, verification of load etc. After issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC), by the department, they could get electricity connection.

The electrical inspectors also used to conduct annual verification, inspection , availability of trained and qualified Electrical Staff, condition of wiring, proper arrangements of fire-fighting and related equipment and then give recommendations for making proper and updated electrical safety measures through any approved electricity contractors and staff.

A spokesman for the Sindh chief minister, Abdul Rasheed Channa, told The News that the matter was under consideration of the CM, who also had the charge of the department. Channa said after getting recommendations and opinions of all authorities concerned, the matter would be decided on merit and if the same supervisory body working in other provinces then its work would be restored in Sindh.