Daily Times

KARACHI: The Jamaat Islami Karachi Div has announced to launch a protest campaign against K-Electric and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for victimizing its consumers.

The city chief of Jamaat Islami Hafiz Naeem Rehman announced this at a press conference on Friday. He said his party would hold a sit-in demonstration on Saturday at 50 spots across the metropolis against the newly approved NEPRA tariff.

He also rejected the recently K-Electric tariff announced by NEPRA.

On the basis of range of solid reasons, the party believes that the tariff should be further trimmed. The authority has betrayed some 25 million residents of the city.

He alleged that NEPRA has concealed the facts regarding the tariff.

The authority propagated the impression that tariff has been cut down whereas on the other hand it increased the tariff by Rs 1.90 per unit for those using 201 to 300 units and 90 paisa per unit for those using one to 100 units of electricity.

Highlighting the anomalies in the tariff, he pointed out that though NEPRA has barred K-Electric from charging double band charges and meter rent as the company already receives the price of meter, there is no decision on the amount K-Electric had already received illegally under the heads of bank charges and meter rent.

While rejecting the tariff, he said the party will opt for review over the decision. Practically NEPRA always favors K-Electric. Contrary to earlier practice, the tariff was imposed for seven years, creating a room for increase in charges earlier than it would be due, he argued.

Recently approved tariff, the K-Electric target on T&D losses has been increased from 15 percent to 20 percent, translating into a burden of five billion rupees for the consumers. NEPRA showed criminal negligence and leniency when it comes to get those decision implemented when do not favor the K-Electric. Over 50 cases against the power utility have been pending in Sindh High Court while the entity was enjoying stay orders.

The situation has become worst to such an extent that 18,000 applications have been filed only in last year against K-Electric before Federal Ombudsman.

Political parties were hand in gloves when it comes to atrocities of K-Electric against people of Karachi.

Citing the role of political parties in Karachi at the time of the then KESC’s privatization, he said that the KE has proved that it can buy even political parties, except Jamaat Islami.

K-Electric management should also be charged for murders of those around 5000 people who lost their lives during heat waves in Karachi, he said the power utility announced and unannounced load-shedding also compel Karachiites to face acute water shortages in their homes.

He demanded that the prime minister has reportedly announced to form a committee to further alter the tariff in the favor of K-Electric, which is unacceptable. If the ruling party in federal capital interferes and adds fuel to the miseries of Karachiites, it will have to bear the heat of people wrath.