KARACHI: Interim Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Monday asked the K-Electric (KE) to generate low-cost electricity by using indigenous fuel so that people could heave a sigh of relief in their power bills.

He also asked the city’s sole power utility to guide their customers to use such appliances such as DC fans and LED bulbs, which consumed less electricity, to help curtail the burden of heavy bills.

This he said while presiding over a meeting held to resolve issues and work out a strategy to provide uninterrupted affordable electricity to the people of Karachi.

The meeting was attended by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi, Commissioner Saleem Rajput, Karachi police chief Khadim Rind, Energy Secretary Fayaz Abbasi, KE CEO Moonis Alvi and others.

Mayor vows to challenge ‘unjust’ Rs3.20 per unit PHL surcharge on KE consumers

He said the KE should add local fuel-based electricity in their system so that power tariff could be reduced.

The KE CEO told the CM that the power utility was going to add 2,172 MW, including 1,182 MW, from renewable energy.

He said the tariff hike and power theft had shrunk power consumption by five per cent and decreased recoveries by 3.4 per cent. At this, the CM said that the ways and means should be explored to generate the electricity that the consumers could afford.

Mayor Wahab told the meeting that the PHL (Power Holdings Limited) surcharge was applied to all customers across Pakistan to cover markup on loans taken by the PHL — a government entity — for the power sector related investments. He said the KE had no contribution to that debt, even then that unjust surcharge (PHL) was levied on customers in Karachi as well, adding that he would file a suit in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) as the city mayor.

The CM said that he would also talk to the federal government to remove the burden of the Rs3.20 per unit PHL surcharge.

The KE chief told the CM that 174 incidences of mob attacks on the KE staff had been recorded, therefore he requested steps for their protection.

The CM directed the city police chief to provide protection to the staff.

The additional IGP said the KE had a separate police station with an SHO and ample police staff. The CM directed him to functionalise the KE police station.

Mr Baqar also directed the KE to ensure the timely provision of electricity bills so that customers could have a few days to pay them. The KE chief assured him that the provision of bills well in time would be ensured.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023