ISLAMABAD, June 27: Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghauri has severely criticised the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation’s performance and demanded its immediate takeover by the government.

At a meeting of the federal cabinet held here on Wednesday, he said his party (Muttahida Qaumi Movement) had accepted the KESC’s privatisation on an assurance that it would get substantial investment in the country, but the new owners were reported to have sold out 25 per cent of shares in the stock market, thereby getting back the amount they had paid.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Ghauri said he had demanded Rs800 million more for rehabilitation of storm and rain victims in Karachi. A grant of Rs200 million has already been announced by the federal government.

When he complained that inflated electricity bills were being issued and called for waiving June bills, Water and Power Minister Liaquat Jatoi said he used to receive monthly electricity bills of Rs20,000 to 25,000 for his home, but this month he had received a Rs50,000 bill.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was presiding over the meeting, said he had convened a meeting in Karachi on Saturday to address the complaints and alleviate the suffering of the people.

About the code of conduct for election, Mr Aziz informed the cabinet that he had started contacting politicians and had already spoken to Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Responding to questions at a briefing, Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani said the government was in touch with the Election Commission on the issue of new electoral rolls about which both the opposition and ruling parties had some reservations.

He said the prime minister’s political contacts would be confined to leaders of parliamentary parties, and discussions would not be held with exiled or unelected leaders on the code of conduct for polls.

He endorsed PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s views that there should be no bar on casting votes by people without Computerised National Identity Cards.Referring to the loss of lives and damage by rain and cyclone in Karachi and Balochistan, the prime minister said that grants of Rs200 million had been announced.