K-Electric (KE) has been an unbridled horse since day one, said Sindh Senior Minister for Information, Transport, Excise, Taxation, and Narcotics Control Sharjeel Inam Memon as he spoke to the media on Monday.
He called for scrutinising the balance sheets of the power companies to ascertain their profits. He said that according to the privatisation agreement, the KE was obligated to allocate a portion of its revenue for network expansion and maintenance.
Memon said that in extreme weather conditions such as rains or heatwaves, the KE’s tripped. He added that the Sindh Assembly had also recently passed a resolution urging the electricity supply companies to mend their ways.
He remarked that after the resolution was passed, the KE wrote a letter claiming that the government had to pay its liabilities. “If they have liabilities towards the government of Sindh, the Sindh government also has liabilities towards them, which can be adjusted,” the information minister said.
He said that electricity supply companies could not impose collective punishment on the people, as it was a violation of the constitution and law. These companies sent bills based on estimates rather than actual meter readings, and when individuals sought corrections in their bills, they were often informed that the bills could not be reduced and only installment arrangements could be made, Memon remarked.
He said that in the rural areas of Sindh, the PMTs were removed even when there were ten defaulters among 100 houses. He criticised the KE, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, and Sukkur Electric Supply Company for blatantly violating the constitution.
He said that punishing the poor in order to hide greed and incompetence of power supply companies was unacceptable. He lamented power cuts during heatwaves as well as examinations that had been causing immense suffering for the people.
