KARACHI, Oct 1: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation is carrying out a power meter verification drive in the city amid complaints of excesses.

Well-placed sources told Dawn on Wednesday that complaints had been received about disconnection of power connections for no valid reason during the meter verification drive. They cited the case of a consumer in the SITE industrial zone whose power connection had been cut off when KESC officials had taken away his power meter for verification.

“The industrial unit (consumer number AP076151 and account number 57987154) was served an inspection notice on Saturday morning (Sept 27). The KESC officials took away the power meter after disconnecting the power connection. According to standard procedure, they should not have disconnected the power connection.”

The KESC notice says: “It is required that under section 20 of the Electricity Act 1910 to carry out a survey check/test of electric installation/metering equipment. You are, therefore, requested to arrange the survey/testing of the installation by the EE/AEE/sub-engineer (electric) of this organization. Failure to cooperate and disallow access to our representative would result in the disconnection of your electric supply.”

When the owner of the industrial unit visited the KESC small industries zone he was given a bill for Rs29,000. The bill does not mention why it is being issued and what would happen if it is not paid. The bill is signed by the controller for billing of the small industries zone.

When contacted, a spokesman for the KESC said that apparently the power connection had been cut off in contravention of rules. “According to standard procedure, when a meter is taken to the meter laboratory, the consumer is provided with a direct electricity connection which is billed afterwards on the basis of the bills issued previously.”

He added that a meter verification was being carried out by the KESC in the city.

The chairman of the SITE association of industries, Haroon Farooqi, who is also on the KESC board of directors, recalled that previously KESC officials used to take away meters and almost always found them “sticky on the test bench.”

“We then approached the KESC and demanded that the matter be resolved to our satisfaction. It was then decided that instead of our power meters going to KESC labs, mobile testing vans would come to SITE so that meters could be tested in the presence of stakeholders.”

Mr Farooqi said that in industrial zones the KESC was also installing power meters on the boundary walls of industrial units. “In the North Karachi industrial area and the FBA industrial area, this process has already started. The shifting of power meters will soon start in the SITE area,” he said.

He said the consumer whose power supply had been disconnected by the KESC upon the removal of the power meter was in an area of cottage industries. The KESC could not take such an action against large industrial units in the SITE area, he added.