KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday lashed out at the K-Electric and other power supplying companies for long hours electricity load shedding amid searing heatwave, as legislators sought action against them.
On the private members’ day, the house adopted a resolution that sought the government’s action against the K-Electric, Hesco and Sepco for the prolonged power outages in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.
Heer Ismail Soho, a female lawmaker from the treasury benches, had moved the resolution. She said that “the K-Electric has mentally agonised the public,” with long hours electricity load shedding.
The megacity suffers between 20 hours and 22 hours of power cuts on a daily basis, she told the legislature, alleging the K-Electric of forcing the area consumers to get a new PMT installed by them if it gets defects.
“The K-Electric has made our lives a living hell,” Soho complained, saying that the power distribution companies are not answerable to anyone and carrying out power cuts arbitrarily. She pleaded to government to take action against them for the unchecked outages.
Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Inam Memon called the Hesco and Sepco the “most inefficient” companies of the country, censuring the K-Electric for over billing and tactical deception to the consumers.
“The K-Electric bills a consumer for 200 units even he hardly used 20 units,” he said, adding that the private power supplier even further does a trick to offer him with paying his bills on an instalment basis.
“If a consumer did not use electricity then why should he pay bills in instalments,” Memon questioned, saying that power cuts run up to 22 hours in several parts with the heatwave taking over from Tuesday.
He said that the power distribution companies cut off electricity supplies to the entire village if a single household fails to pay its bills on time. He accused these companies of violating the country’s Constitution.
Sindh Local Government Minister, Saeed Ghani informed the house that the K-Electric has enforced a regime of a “collective punishment” in Karachi. Even those consumers who pay bills on time are also subjected to the load shedding, he added.
“If few households are stealing electricity, the entire locality is made to suffer from power cuts as a punishment,” he said, demanding of the government to help the affectees file an FIR against the K-Electric if someone dies of hot weather.
The unchecked and unannounced long hours power cuts have also made the students suffer from the rising temperatures, he said, asking the K-Electric to review its load shedding plans on humanitarian grounds. The examination centres are without electricity, he added.
PTI-backed lawmaker Shabbier Qureshi said that the power companies like Hesco and K-Electric have agonised the public life across Sindh, saying that the bills are getting bigger while electricity supplies are reducing.
“On a regular basis, these companies add a new tax to the bill,” he said, adding that the K-Electric stands completely indifferent to the human miseries amid the Met Office’s heatwave alert.
Electricity bills have exceeded the public monthly income, he said that “either people feed themselves or pay bills”. He asked the treasury about its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s pledge of 200 free electricity units.
The house also held a debate on two other resolutions including increase in the monthly stipend of Benazir Income Support Program and solution to the beggary.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar warned the uncontrollable bandits of katcha areas of Sindh of a sledge hammer action if they did not surrender before the law enforcers.
Replying to questions in the house, he praised his government for helping situation improve with steps to stem violence in troubled parts, besides appreciating the police for their action against the outlaws.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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