KARACHI: Privatization plan spurs KESC drive for recovery: Rs300 million realized
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 3: As the pace of privatization in the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation gains momentum, the power utility intensifies its dues recovery campaign.
Sources told Dawn on Sunday that the KESC had managed to recover Rs300 million from no fewer than 25,000 consumers in less than two months.
“At least 70 recovery teams, consisting of personnel of army monitoring teams and KESC staff, have combed some eight billing zones, identifying more than 25,000 consumers who owed dues to the power utility. These defaulters were asked to pay up at least 50 per cent of the outstanding dues or face disconnection.”
The sources said the recovered amount — Rs300 million — was 50 per cent of the outstanding dues. The remaining amount would be paid by the defaulter in instalments.
On Jan 12, the KESC managing director, Brig Tariq Saddozai, announced that over 60 KESC recovery teams would disconnect electricity connections of those defaulters who owed more than Rs10,000 to the power utility.
The sources added that in January various government departments owed over Rs3 billion to the KESC. “The power utility has managed to recover Rs1 billion plus from these government departments.”
The KESC was also holding talks with the city government to reconcile disputed power bills. “The city government had some reservations about KESC bills. Those bills are being considered and the KESC is seeing if these bills are correct or not.”
The sources said the recovery drive had been initiated — and sustained afterwards — because the federal government had done its bit as far as the sell-off of the power utility was concerned.
“The federal government recently carried out the much- trumpeted debt-equity swap — which is a glorified term for conversion of debt into equity — and now the ball is in the court of the KESC. The power utility is expected to make concerted efforts to pull itself out of the financial mess it is in before its privatization.”
The sources told Dawn that there had been some hiccups in the KESC recovery campaign. On Feb 15, the KESC disconnected the power supply of the sector 11-G of New Karachi in retaliation for the misbehaviour that the power utility’s army-monitoring team had to face at the hands of a few miscreants in the area.
“The power supply of the area was disconnected because a few defaulters had pelted an army-monitoring team of the KESC with stones. The army-monitoring team was in the area to collect dues from, or disconnect power supply of, those KESC consumers who owed more than Rs10,000 to the power utility.”
They added that the power utility had received complaints that some people posing as KESC officials had made unsuspecting consumers pay bribes. When contacted, the KESC principal information officer said it was the right of all consumers to ascertain the identity of a KESC official before allowing him to touch their electric meters.
“Besides, consumers must also remember that no KESC official is supposed to make any cash transaction. All KESC transactions take place through banks. In case of any complaint, consumers can call the KESC headquarters.”
