Digging of new roads deplored: CDGK to pay Rs 30 million to salvage KESC from crisis

While the Karachiites have not yet heaved a sigh of relief after long-awaited completion of road-reconstruction works in the city, the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) is bent upon digging up newly constructed thoroughfares to lay electricity cables.
The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) would on Friday pay Rs 30 million back to KESC in a bid to help the utility repay its over Rs 30 billion dues to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and get the issue of power crisis in Karachi resolved.
"For the sake of Karachiites, the entire administrative network of the city government offers KESC, Wapda, governor and chief minister Sindh its all-out co-operation, help, assistance to resolve power crisis issue in Karachi on war footings."
The statements came from City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal during a one-point agenda based hurriedly called press conference held here at his Secretariat on Thursday.
"Enough is enough, the problem should be solved now... not in days but in hours... and on war footings... our all efforts, development work, international marketing of Karachi are going down into the drain because of power crisis," the City Nazim ruefully said.
He said the KESC, which was not serious when the roads' reconstruction work was being carried out by the CDGK, had started digging up the newly constructed roads in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Saddar to install power supply network.
"All investment and labour we made during the last two and half years would go into waste... the KESC would pay not even a single penny to us... but we have agreed to it just for the sake of two crore Karachiites," complained the nazim.
The CDGK, which is an elected government, was never taken onboard in decision-making process with regard to electricity affairs in the city, he lamented. "Despite that we have no role in power generation or distribution and other KESC affairs, which is a drawback itself, we offer our unconditional assistance in coping with the crisis," said Kamal Mustafa. He said the elected representatives would compulsorily have to manage power affairs for the relief of masses who have the authority to bring the latter to power in elections.
Kamal said that besides people's sufferings the power crisis was also putting adverse effects on the industrial production and growth. "Survival of industries and foreign investment in Karachi, which earns 70 percent revenue for Pakistan, is in danger and if it persists the entire country will face a disaster," he warned.
The City Nazim said that he had also negotiated the matter with authorities in Wapda, adding: "Wapda wants the KESC to repay at least Rs 3 billion, which would be used for reopening of KESC's power generating turbines which are laying off due to non-payment."
Kamal said that Wapda, which was currently supplying 200 MW of electricity out of demanded 400-MW to the KESC daily, had assured him of restoration of full supply soon after Corporation's payback. "Rs 3 billion is certainly a small amount when it comes to people's suffering," he urged the KESC.