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KARACHI, June 27: Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi has directed the EDO Finance to ensure payment of Rs165.548 million to KESC, which is due on the city government and clearance of Rs425.557 million, which were against KWSB by June 28 (today).
However, in case of the city government, payment of Rs25 million as its first instalment should be ensured, the directive added.
The chief secretary issued these directives while presiding over a meeting on Friday, in which KESC and HESCO dues were discussed in detail.
The chief secretary directed that all Town Nazims should be asked through City Nazim to expedite payment of Rs638.758 million dues, otherwise, Sindh finance department would deduct the KESC dues at source for payment to KESC.
Additional chief secretary, Haji Fazl-ur-Rehman, pointed out that the provincial government had cleared all dues till June 30, 2002 and remaining dues would be cleared by June 28 (today).
Regarding the HESCO dues of Rs799.233 million against district governments in Sindh, the DCOs and TMOs concerned were advised to clear all dues by June 30.
NEW METERS: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has installed 6,000 new poly-carbonated compact meters in several parts of the city during the last three weeks to ensure stable supply of electricity and control power theft, adds APP.
A senior official of KESC said that these meters were installed free of cost and that all the existing meters would be replaced by these 100 per cent tamper-free meters within one year. He pointed out that the new meters were laboratory tested and could not be opened or tampered for power theft.
He said that 866 meters had been installed in Baldia Town, 750 in Lyari and 650 in Landhi, where the power theft was as high as 80 per cent in various localities.
“These meters are installed after demonstration for accuracy before the residents of these areas,” he added. He pointed out that the accuracy of these meters could be checked by connecting a one kilowatt tube bulb for one hour. If the meter will click for one unit after one hour, it is 100 per cent accurate in reading, he added.
He said that if any consumer found a fault in the meter, he could report it to KESC for its inspection through a mobile testing van.
The official was confident that the replacement of meters would eliminate the problem of average billing and control the use of heavy load by some unscrupulous elements in these areas.
He noted that the replacement of old meters and installation of new metres outside the premises was a part of the ongoing project of KESC for the improvement of power supply system, started since June 7, 2003.
He said that old and out-dated overhead power lines and under ground cables were also being replaced in Orangi Town, FB Area, North Karachi, Nazimabad, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Malir, Landhi, Korangi, Baldia, and Lyari areas on priority basis.
The replacement of old overhead power lines and underground power cables in Defence Housing Society and Clifton were also being undertaken. He said that in Defence and Clifton areas, the power losses had declined from 40 per cent to 24 per cent after the installation of new meters, he added.
