Tawanai

Here’s a useful article about KESC,Via Nation

Over the years, I have written at least ten ST articles on the power crisis, which has gripped Karachi and the nation for the last 12 years. In the articles, I have narrated how a group of concerned citizens had filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 98 against PTC, KWSB and KESC, for failing to provide the services for which they were established.

Since then, I have continued to follow the twisted and crooked trail of KESC and have interacted with most of MDs, senior managers and engineers of the organization, including the late Shahid Hamid and Frank Scherschmidt and have yet to find a suitable or appropriate explanation for its failure.

In October last year, I had thought that I had finally reached the end of the trail, when the KESC had announced a massive increase in its tariffs. There was a huge hue and cry from all quarters of the country, including industrialists, commercial and domestic consumers.

Violent protests, burning of tires and attacks on KESC complaint centers were witnessed all over the country and emergency meetings were held at FPCCI, KCCI and SITE Association. Chest thumping, fiery speeches were made and ultimatums and threats of closing down industry were given by the business leaders, if the electricity tariffs were not reduced within three days.

A resolution was passed at a FPCCI meeting, which demanded: ‘The privatization of KESC should be examined and the terms and conditions should be made public – The, agreement should be cancelled and increase in the electricity rates of KESC should be kept in abeyance – All industries and business houses in Karachi should pay the electricity bills on the old rates’.

In another meeting at the SITE Ass. office, in which Sindh Industries Minister, Rauf Siddiqui, was also present and heard harsh speeches of business leaders on the damaging impact of the rise in electricity tariff on industry and that it would be the last straw that would break the industry’s back.
‘Unless the government takes immediate steps, factories would be forced to close down. This would result in thousands of workers loosing their jobs, create a law and order situation and the loss of valuable foreign exchange’.

Zubair Mottiwala, now Advisor to the CM, had read out a resolution: ‘Power bills of September, with enhanced tariff, should not be paid by consumers till a final decision is reached’. The resolution was endorsed by all the members, including the minister. I had also suggested that consumers should stop paying their bills and deposit payments in the courts, till KESC improves its services, which of course was vetoed.

Consumers, Electricity, Energy, Infrastructure, Pakistan, power KESC