KARACHI, Oct 9: Chairman Site Association Nisar Sheikhani has taken strong exception to the new power tariff of Karachi Electric Supply Company to be effective from September 1, which raised fuel adjustment charges in the bill from 150 to 300 per cent.

He said that the higher tariff was putting a new burden on industries, which were already hard pressed and were struggling to survive.

In a statement Mr Shiekhani took note of the fact that the fuel adjustment charges were being raised at a timer when the world oil prices are going down. He gave a detailed analysis to show effects of raise in tariff on various categories of power consumers.

He particularly questioned National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) as to how and why it is allowing KESC for such an irrational rise in power tariff, which amounts to killing local industry.

The KESC, he said, suffers on account of its mismanagement and corruption that is causing huge power losses from theft, which is being recovered from honest consumers, who pay their bills regularly and are not involved in pilferage and meter tampering.