Surely, the KESC’s linesmen know where they are but what is being done to eliminate them.
KARACHI: This past month my electricity bill did not come. I sent for a duplicate and the messenger was told that since KESC’s work was being disrupted by those who have been laid off, it couldn’t be reissued. Because of the organisation’s own problems I couldn’t get a bill, and this means that the next month’s bill will have a late payment surcharge.
The problems that the utility faces are mostly of its own making. For instance take the case of the illegal kunda connections. Surely, the KESC’s linesmen know where they are but what is being done to eliminate them and catch those involved in this power theft? It is also likely that wires from the network are pilfered and re-sold on the open market. This theft hits bill-paying law-abiding consumers in several ways. First, they suffer because of power shortages caused by the kundas or voltage fluctuations. And then, because of this theft, the utility falls short of its revenue, and profit, targets, and ends up increasing its tariff. The latter move ends up punishing those who pay their bills on time and who do not steal electricity for the sins of others.
The Chinese have simple and highly effective methods of curbing corruption that may be applied to KESC. As was recently done by others I would like to suggest we invite them to come across and teach us.
Dr Mervyn Hosein
Published in The Express Tribune, May 20th, 2011.
