Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro on Thursday strongly criticised the government, saying it had sold a public utility department, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), at a throwaway price of Rs 16 billion, while the entity already had assets of more than Rs 62 billion. Addressing a news conference at his office in the Sindh Assembly Building, he said that the KESC was handed over to the army officials some seven years back, but they failed to improve the performance of this entity.
He asked that how those people could run the country who had failed to run successfully merely a civic service entity like the KESC.
He said that his party was against the privatisation of public utility departments and added that after the privatisation of such institutions, people would have to face more difficulties and problems.
He feared that after privatisation of KESC, power tariff would be increased, resultantly the industry of the city as well as the domestic consumers would be severely affected. More than 3,000 sick units already affecting the national economy, while their number could be increased after the privatisation of KESC, Khuhro said.
About the assets of KESC, Nisar Khuhro said that it owned 185 plots estimated worth Rs 25 billion, 1260 MW Power Generation Plant at Port Qasim worth Rs 26 billion and other assets which were in total worth more than Rs 62 billion. The KESC was earning Rs 22 billion on account of recovery from government, public, industrial and private sector institutions, he said.
The PPP leader strongly condemned the government decision and said that more than 19,000 KESC employees were not taken in confidence in this regard and the government sold it despite the protest of KESC workers.
Expressing his solidarity with the KESC employees, he said that Pakistan Peoples Party would continue its struggles for the rights of workers in the country. The privatisation of public utility organisations would not be accepted at any cost, he vowed. He asked the ruling partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that why it was silent on this anti-people decision of the government.
KESC Employees Action Committee Secretary General Manzoor Mughal said on the occasion that nowhere in the world the private sector was being offered to run the sensitive public utility organisations including power supply, gas, water, telephone and others.
He said that the government should run such institutions by itself, otherwise many difficulties would be created for general public.
He said that the government had announced that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) would not increase power tariff during the next seven years but it had already raised the power tariff just seven days after the privatisation of KESC.
Rashid Rabbani, Rafiq Engineer, Saeed Ghani, Raheel Iqbal, Aslam Samoon and other leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party were also present on this occasion.
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