KARACHI, Feb 16: State minister for Water and Power, Khalid Ahmed Khan, on Monday witnessed on-the-spot meter-testing demonstration by KESC and independent experts, in the presence of public representatives.

The Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation tested the meters through the latest equipment, authenticated and calibrated by the technical experts from the NED University, Siemens and electrical inspector of Karachi, a KESC statement said.

Several residential and industrial meters were selected by the public representatives, including city Nazim, MNAs, MPAs, besides representatives of trade and industrial associations.

Head of the Army Monitoring Teams was also present. The minister, on the occasion said that after this public demonstration of meter-testing the misgivings about the newly-installed meters should end.

He said that the KESC had sufficiently vindicated its position on meters in the presence of public representatives and technical experts, by publicly verifying the accuracy of the new meters.

He advised the KESC to divert its attention towards its system improvement. City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, talking to the press, said that shifting of meters outside the premises was the right step taken by the KESC and it was in the interest of the consumers and must continue.

Others who also spoke on the occasion, included MNAs, Qari Gul Rehman and Laeeq Ahmed Khan, SITE Association Chairman Nisar Shaikhani, FPCCI Vice-Chairman Capt Moiz Khan, NED University Professor Shahid Hafeez and Karachi Electrical Inspector Wali Mohammed.

KESC Managing Director Brig Tariq Saddozai said after ending of the controversy over the speed of the meters, the KESC would be able to undertake other tasks to ensure better power supply to its consumers.

He said if the KESC had been guilty, it would not have organized this open public demonstration, in which meters were selected at random by the elected representatives.

Mr Saddozai reiterated that if any consumer had a complaint about his new meter, he could get it checked by the KESC mobile testing van. Army Monitoring Teams' in charge Brig Javed Iqbal assured that the teams would also continue their monitoring of the newly-installed meters. Earlier, Project Director Brig Irfan Ali said so far 75,000 residential and 13,000 industrial meters had been shifted. -APP