KARACHI, Jan 6: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation has for short term introduced quick connection service for social, religious and sporting functions for the city, parts of Thatta and Balochistan being supplied electricity by the corporation to curb power theft, a KESC spokesman said here on Monday.

He said it had become a routine practice to hook connection directly for availing electricity for social and religious functions the year round. The explanation for power theft on such places was the absence of a proper procedure for making payment and availing right connection. Nearly five million units of electricity costing Rs45 million a month was being pilfered.

Keeping in mind customer facilitation, KESC managing director Brig Tariq Saddozai directed the KESC engineers to make procedure through which one-day connections may be provided before taking punitive action. Quick connection service of the KESC will facilitate immediate electricity connection on all socio-political, religious and sporting functions. The policy proved successful during the holy month of Ramazan and is now being expanded.

He said henceforth anybody found stealing electricity without availing the KESC quick service connection would be penalized.

The quick service connection charges are Rs1,500 for a 20KW one-day connection and Rs150 a KW for load above 20KW for marriages and socio-political and cultural events. While for religious and sporting events Rs500 to provide 10 kW one-day connection and Rs100 a KW for extra load.

For availing of the quick connection service, application may be submitted to the area KESC zonal manager or the executive engineer who will issue the estimate and the connection will be provided within 24 hours after the applicants make payments.

In case of any difficulty for availing of the quick connection service, the service in charge chief engineer, Jamil Gul, or the officer in charge distribution implementation, Lt-Col Zahid Hamid, may be contacted at the KESC head office.