KARACHI, Nov 11: The Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, has aid that kunda menace has burdened the power consumers with an additional Rs1.5 billion. The amount, he elaborated, makes the KESC deficit which the power consumers are ultimately made to pay.

Describing the kunda system as a ‘curse’, the Nazim said that it must be eliminated from the city. “It is regrettable that people are using electricity without paying for it to the KESC for which certain government organizations, too, cannot be absolved of their responsibility,” said the Nazim while inaugurating the KESC’s North Karachi complaint centre on Monday.

The centre will provide customer service to some 39,267 power consumers of North Karachi who, earlier, had to visit power house for for the purpose. It has been established jointly by the KESC and the Town administration with latter having provided office space.

Speaking on the occasion, Naimatullah Khan pledged the City government’s full cooperation to the KESC in eliminating kundas.

He, however, stressed the need for arrangements to be made by the KESC for the availability of meters as they would be required at places from where kundas would be removed.

He appreciated the KESC for setting up the new customer service centre in North Karachi that would greatly benefit the people of this area and urged the corporation to establish more such centres in other towns.

The Nazim mentioned that the collaboration between the City government and KESC in solving the power consumers’ problems would prove a milestone towards the achievement of a comfortable life for the ordinary citizen.

He observed that other problems could also be solved easily if a close liaison between people and utility agencies was maintained.

Explaining the KESC’s autonomous status, Naimatullah Khan said that the City government did not have any sort of control over the corporation but the two sides were extending cooperation to each other in the greater interest of the general public. He said that the governments at City and Town levels would always be ready to cooperate with any utility agency with the sole purpose of serving the masses.

The Nazim realized that electricity was the basic need for the people and if people were able to get meters without any inconvenience, this would greatly help the authorities get rid of kunda system. He said that kunda could be removed completely under a phased programme in which Towns would play an important role.

Addressing the ceremony the Town Nazim, Shafiqur Rehman Usmani, urged the City government to allocate lands to the KESC for spacious offices in the area.—APP