KARACHI: City Council session: Resolution against KESC privatisation torpedoed
By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, July 5: A political divide manifested well on Wednesday when the City Council failed to adopt a unanimous resolution on the crucial issue, the electricity crisis that persists for more than a month now.
At the conclusion of a two-day emergency session, summoned to debate the issue amid widespread criticism of KESC for its failure to contain frequent and prolonged power failures and load-shedding, the treasury benches defeated the opposition’s resolution calling for the abrogation of the agreement for the privatisation of KESC.
The treasury benches adopted their own resolution which urged the federal government to ensure establishment of more power generation units in Karachi through the KESC to meet the city’s growing electricity demand. It also called upon the relevant authorities to take urgent measures to normalise power supply, thus bringing an end to agonies and sufferings of the people of Karachi.
Almost all the opposition members who took part in a heated debate on the issue were of the view that privatisation of KESC was the most important factor contributing to the present power crisis.
At the outset, an opposition member, Ramzan Awan, conveyed to the house citizens’ resentment over the mismanagement in KESC and the utility’s apathy towards their sufferings, saying that the unendurable load-shedding and power breakdowns had added to the miseries of Karachiites who were already exposed to the sizzling summer. He suggested that the KESC be handed over to the city government and if it was not possible, then at least three members of the City Council be appointed to the KESC’s Board of Directors so that its performance could be monitored and improved.
Mr Awan was of the view that the members of this august house should also be given representation in the KPT and other such organisations to ensure a regular and serious interaction between the private sector organisations and elected representatives.Al-Khidmat member Mohammad Islam deplored sale of the national assets worth billions of rupees each at a throwaway price to foreigners and, in this context, made mention of the KESC. He criticised the dubious role of the Haq Parast councillors, indicating that the treasury benches were part of the Sindh coalition. He said that the treasury benches’ criticism of KESC’s performance could not absolve them of their responsibilities in this regard, he said.
“This is all gimmick for political gains,” he remarked, alleging that the objective for taking up the issue was to blackmail the new KESC management to extort money and get favourites recruited in the utility organisation.
Pointing to certain treasury members’ remarks to a religious party, the opposition leader said those who were living in glass houses should not throw stones on others.
He also criticised the MQM chief which provoked an angry reaction from Haq Parast councillors who stood up and interrupted his speech by shouting loudly. The uproar prevailed for quite some time and subsided when the chair intervened and warned all members against crossing limits.
Ms Nasreen Jalil, who was presiding over the session, said that every member had the right to express his views but everyone in the house should respect others’ views, thoughts and ideology. She pointed out that ideological differences were there among the council members as they followed different schools of thought.
A treasury member, Masood Mehmood, defended privatisation of KESC, saying that the current power crisis in this city was not a new phenomenon. It did occur in the past because there had always been a big gap between the demand and supply of electricity.
He was of the view that the present situation was being exploited deliberately by certain elements within the KESC and some external elements with a view to destabilise the system and provoking agitation. He pointed out that attempts were made to disturb even the proceedings of this house while it was debating the issue.
Other members who took part in the debate included Shabnam Shahid, Shamim Mumtaz, Mohib Fatmi, Shahnawaz Husain and Junaid Mukhtar. They suggested measures like an aggressive drive against power theft through ‘kundas’, improving of transmission and distribution system as well as billing system, etc.
The resolution adopted by the house said that considering the gravity of the power shortage problem, power supply to billboards, highways, shops and offices be suspended for the time being whereas it should be ensured that electricity was not being wasted by using air-conditioners unnecessarily in government offices.
The City Council also recommended that two of its members be given representation in the KESC management as had been done in the past.
