02 October 2004	Saturday	16 Shaban 1425

KARACHI, Oct 1: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation has issued arbitrary bills to residents of Korangi for allegedly indulging in power theft.

Residents told Dawn that while no KESC team had detected power theft in their locality, electricity bills had been issued showing unchanged meter reading and consumption of a certain number of units.

"For instance, a consumer (LA656304) was issued an electricity bill for the consumption of 200 units, though his meter-reading stood unchanged at 235. Another consumer (AL926509) of the same locality was issued an electricity bill for 150 units, though his meter reading stood unchanged at 474," they said.

They said the billing mode mentioned on their bills was "det" which, according to KESC officials, stood for "detection". They wondered why the KESC had adopted the detection mode of billing without checking their actual consumption and detecting power theft.

When contacted, a KESC spokesman said such bills had been issued in those areas where power consumption according to metered pole-mounted transformers was higher than power billed.

"The KESC has metered its pole-mounted transformers and knows exactly how much electricity is being supplied to a certain locality. If power billed in the locality is less than power consumed, somebody must be indulging in power theft. Electricity bills based on detection mode are issued to recover the amount which is being used by power thieves," he explained.

The KESC spokesman said that this exercise was being carried out in those localities which were considered "no-go areas" until recently. A resident of Korangi told Dawn that his regional billing office had given him the same explanation. "But don't you think it is unfair to penalize the entire locality for the sins of a handful of KESC consumers who might be indulging in power theft? Since the KESC cannot arrest these individuals, it is punishing the whole locality," he observed.

BREAKDOWNS: Worshippers praying throughout Shab-i-Barat were greatly inconvenienced when the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to its consumers.

Calling from Blocks 14, 15 and 21 of Federal B Area, residents said the KESC should have been prompt in attending to power faults during Shab-i-Barat. "We remained without electricity for a couple of hours. Instead of saying prayers, we had to look to children who woke up as soon as the power breakdown occurred.

I really wish the KESC had ensured that no power breakdown occurred during Shab-i- Barat," said a housewife. She said in the morning they were again awakened by a power breakdown. She said they making arrangements for Friday prayers became problematic as they could not iron their clothes.

Calling from Muslim Society and City Villas of Scheme-33, residents said their locality experienced a brief power breakdown the previous night. They added that they faced another power breakdown early in the morning, from 9am to 11.30am. Similar complaints were received from Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Soldier Bazaar and Malir.