KARACHI: Sindh High Court on Friday ordered K-electric (KE) to end "unannounced" load-shedding and remove the illegal connections in the metropolis. Expressing displeasure over the performance of power utility, a division bench of SHC headed by Justice Khadim Hussain Sheikh directed KE to end loadshedding and remove illegal connections from across the city in response to a petition against "unannounced" loadshedding in exempted areas and illegal electricity connections in Karachi.
Justice Sheikh observed that everyone in Karachi has been complaining about KE and remaked that in such a situation, KE's licence should be suspended. The "lives of Karachi's people have been rendered miserable by the power utility," Justice Sheikh remarked, adding that "people have been made uncomfortable by illegal connections and unannounced power outages".
KE's lawyer submitted that many areas of Karachi had been cleared of illegal connections, whereas new wires had also been installed. Justice Sheikh remarked that illegal connections still existed, as did the menace of unannounced loadshedding.
He also inquired about the action taken against those indulging in power theft and asked about the cases framed against the elements involved in power theft. Justice Sheikh said that the court knows that incompetent people have been recruited in the power utility because resurfacing of illegal connections after their removal speaks about the incompetency of KE's staff.
Meanwhile, the division bench of SHC sought a report from the concerned authorities on removal of garbage from city. The bench ordered that report should be furnished in the court by July 29, 2020, the date of next hearing of petition which was filed against the non-lifting of garbage in North Karachi and other areas is Karachi.
Deputy Secretary Local Government Sindh told the court that Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) are responsible for the removal of garbage and said the Sindh Government can take action if KMC and DMCs failed to do their job.
The court inquired whether any action has been taken against KMC and DMCs when the garbage has piled up everywhere in Karachi after it expressed annoyance at Deputy Secretary.
The court ordered the petitioner to make Sindh Solid Management Board a party to the petition when Additional Advocate General submitted that the board has not been made a party which is tasked with lifting and dumping of garbage. The court sought the report from Local Government Sindh and other departments about the removal of garbage from the city by next hearing of the petition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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