KARACHI, June 15: Shops and bazaars will be exempt from compulsory 8pm closure on Saturdays in view of the improved electricity supply situation.

This was decided in a meeting held here under the Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad to review the power supply situation here on Thursday.

The governor directed that the power availability situation would be regularly monitored and said that people should be provided immediate relief.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, Additional Secretary Javed Hanif, CCPO Niaz Siddiqi, Managing Director of Siemens Sohail Wajahat, the KESC’s chief executive officer and other officials.

Officials of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation briefed the meeting that the move to close shops had saved 75 megawatts of electricity, which had helped in reducing load-shedding.

The governor called for minimizing the incidence of load-shedding in residential areas and said that load-shedding should be limited to brief periods if it was utterly necessary and that, too, with prior information.

He instructed officials concerned to maintain a strict vigil on elements involved in wire theft and said that cases should be registered against them under anti-terrorism laws.

He expressed the hope that people should also keep a watch on such elements, adding that it was in their own interest and it was also important to maintain uninterrupted supply of electricity.

The governor also stressed on the need for making the KESC police station functional and intructed the CCPO to cooperate.

He also urged the KESC officials to improve liaison with elected representatives of local bodies besides seeking public cooperation. He ordered that necessary arrangements should be in place to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the upcoming rains.

The governor said that power shortage could be overcome if its unnecessary usage was curtailed, adding that there was a need to increase public awareness about it and the corporation should make efforts in this direction.—APP