KARACHI, Sept 21: The construction of Manghopir Road Phase-I under Tameer-i-Karachi Programme hangs in the balance as the power utility has demanded payment for the removal of electric poles within road alignment or at least a guarantee for payment by the city government.

Spokesman for the army-managed KESC claimed that estimated cost to be incurred on the removal of electrical system was sent to the city government. However, the city government officials refuted the KESC claim and said that no estimate / challan from the KESC had so far been received.

KESC spokesman referred to the civic amenities development practices in vogue between the city government and the KESC and said that whenever the KESC had to either lay a cable or install electrical poles or PMTs, they sought permission from the city government on prior payment for way-leave costs and whenever the city government in order to improve the town planning or topography of the area required shifting of the existing electrical infrastructure, the cost of the work had to be borne by the project implementing agency.

In the case of Manghopir Road, he said, it was not justified to predicate that the removal of PMT was being delayed. The diary of events was as such that KESC received two letters from the city government officials.

The KESC engineers surveyed the two- kilometre-long underground and overhead network connected to the PMT for its removal. On completion of the survey, KESC issued an estimate for payment to remove the network, which included removal of two PMTs, laying of about two-kilometre-long underground high tension cable and erecting 20 new poles for the overhead lines.

The spokesman claimed: "The KESC was fully prepared to remove the PMTs and the network as soon as it receives the estimated amount or a guarantee from the city government committing payment at a later stage."