Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Monday took strong notice of the electricity crisis in Karachi and asked the KESC to take practical steps to end it.
Addressing a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister's House regarding the ongoing loadshedding problem, he directed the KESC to exempt the water pumping stations from loadshedding, so that the Karachiites could be saved from water shortage.
He said that any one found damaging or sabotaging KESC power lines would be tried under an Anti-Terrorist Act. He said that the government would provide all out help to end the electricity crisis in Karachi. The chief minister said that the purpose of privatisation of the KESC was to provide relief to citizens, but now even the president and the prime minister had taken notice of the crisis of electricity in the city.
He asked the KESC administration to find a solution of this crisis soon, as people and industrialists of Karachi were facing with great hardships due to frequent power outages.
He said that all shops would be closed after 8:00 pm under the Shops Act. He asked the KESC administration to use electronic media to raise awareness amongst citizens regarding the conservation of electricity. He also appealed to citizens to use electricity with conservation, adding that minimum use of electricity in homes should be encouraged.
Dr Arbab asked the Sindh Industries Secretary to meet with industrialists, and discuss option of having holiday on alternate days instead of Sunday.
He asked the IGP Sindh to cooperate with the KESC to check theft of electricity in Karachi. He said that action should be taken against water-tanker mafia, as they use water through illegal connections.
He suggested that the KESC should install new transformers, and set up at least 12 more grid stations during the next year to control power crisis. On the occasion, the KESC administration told the Sindh chief minister that they were taking steps to improve the performance of the KESC. They assured that they would take steps to end loadshedding.