KARACHI, March 21: Power failures continued to occur in many localities in the city on Friday as some complaint centres of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation told consumers that they were under orders not to rectify faults because of strike.

Calling from Garden East, a resident said that even if a strike had been called by a political party it was extremely ineffective as vehicles were visible all over the city and life remained normal. “Yet, when I made a complaint to my regional complaint centre a candid KESC official told me that they were under orders not to venture out during strike. I asked the official his name but he refused to tell me his name, saying that it was not his job to tell people his name. I argued that because the strike was completely ineffective KESC vehicles could venture out without any risk. But he contended that he could question the orders issued by top-ranking officials.”

A KESC official told Dawn that during strikes the KESC vehicles were told not to venture out unnecessarily lest they be torched by violent mobs. “But this precaution is taken, if at all, on a case-to-case basis. If situation in the city is normal KESC vehicles move and rectify faults. On Friday no instructions were issued by the KESC complaint centres not to send vehicles to areas.”

Calling from Orangi Town, a consumer made the same complaint. “The KESC official attending the telephone at my regional complaint centre asked me why I was so anxious to get my power supply restored when Iraq is being attacked by the Americans. I was indignant at such an answer but there is little I could do. The KESC should make their telephone attendants take a course in courtesy.”

Sources working at various complaint centres of the KESC told Dawn that it was very difficult for senior officials to keep an eye on telephone attendants all the time.

“Most telephone attendants are responsible officials but sometimes complainants misbehave and irritate them. As a rule, telephone attendants register complaints in a most polite manner.”

The sources said that on Friday Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Garden East and West, Defence, Phase IV and V, North Nazimabad, Federal B. Area, Paposh Nagar, Golimar, Rizvia Society and PECHS (near Chanesar Halt) had experienced power breakdowns.

They said on a given day a large number of power breakdowns occurred when the transmission and distribution network of the power utility broke down because of lack of maintenance.