KARACHI, Jan 27: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation has been allowed to set up special courts to deal with the cases of defaulters.

Well-placed sources told Dawn here on Sunday that the federal government had authorized the power utility to set up special courts in an attempt to lend strength to its ongoing recovery campaign.

They added that a draft was being prepared by the federal government to amend the criminal procedure code so as to enable the power utility to take punitive action against those who indulged in electricity pilferage and sat on outstanding dues for long periods.

“An effort is being made by the federal government to remove the loopholes from the existing laws that make it possible for defaulters to get away,” they explained.

On Jan 12, the managing director of the KESC, Brig Tariq Saddozai, announced that no fewer than 60 KESC recovery teams would disconnect electricity connections of those defaulters who owed more than Rs10,000 to the power utility.

Insiders said that outstanding dues had risen to Rs22.452 billion till Nov 30, 2001, up from Rs20.553 billion on June 30, 2001.

KESC officials regretted that most defaulters had chosen not to cough up the money they had owed to the power utility. “As many as 466,133 consumers could have availed themselves of the relief package offered to them by us in October, but only 130,330 paid up, giving us only Rs80 million out of the total outstanding dues of Rs1.6 billion. It is a pity that the recovered amount was only 4.8 per cent of the outstanding dues.”

The KESC announced a relief package in October last year under which those consumers who owed less than Rs10,000 (till June 30, 2001) to the power utility were allowed to pay up the dues in 15 equal monthly instalments. Similarly, those who owed more than Rs10,000 to the power utility were allowed to pay up the dues in the 10 equal monthly instalments with an upfront payment of 30 per cent of the dues.

They said there were 251,980 consumers who each owed more than Rs10,000 to the power utility. Similarly, there were 152,973 consumers who each owed more than Rs20,000 to the power utility.

“Recently, the KESC disconnected the power supply of some government departments. Most government departments paid up a large chunk of the dues without delay, promising that they would give the remaining amount within a month.”

The KESC officials said the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board had owed Rs937 million to the KESC and had paid up Rs114 million. The Karachi Shipyard had owed Rs8.5 million to the KESC. When its power supply had been cut off, it paid up the dues the same day. The cantonment board had owed Rs7.1 million to the KESC and it had paid up Rs5.1 million.

The Defence Housing Authority had owed Rs3.8 million to the KESC and paid up Rs980,000. The Airport Security Force had owed Rs3.7 million to the KESC and had paid up Rs1.1 million. The Printing Corporation had owed Rs3.7 million to the KESC and had paid up Rs570,000.