Clifton resident’s petition: Power utilities put on notice by SHC

Petitioner says KESC sent two bills in the same month.

KARACHI: Alleging that that her electricity bills are illegally inflated, Clifton resident Mrs Fareeda went to court, maintaining that Karachi Electric Supply Company officials changed the electricity meter of her house in August 2009 without proper authorisation.

She maintains that the electricity use is minimal in her case as there are only three people, including herself, living in her house and they are all professionals who work at offices during the day.

However, KESC sent a bill of Rs41,000 in September 2009. In November 2009, she was sent a bill of Rs350,300 and then again sent a supplementary bill of Rs37,668.43 in the same month.

The petitioner, through her counsel Javaid Ahmed Chattari advocate, maintains that the impugned bill of Rs350,300 is absolutely illegal and is in violation of the Electricity Act 1998 and the NEPRA Act 1997. It was issued without procedure and without the presence of representatives such as the Sindh government’s electric inspector, Chattari contended. The superior courts have held that a meter cannot be removed or inspected without the presence of “independent witnesses”, he added. The petitioner prayed the court to restrain the power utility from recovering the amount in the ‘inflated’ bills and disconnecting the electricity supply until a decision is reached regarding the petition.

The division bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, after initial arguments by the petitioner’s counsel ordered the issuance of pre-admission notices to KESC and National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for January 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th,  2011.