Unannounced power outages: KESC put on notice for late night load-shedding

Under the Electricity Act Section 24, the KESC cannot resort to unannounced load-shedding.


Express May 26, 2011

KARACHI:


The Karachi Electricity Supply Company (KESC) was put on notice in an urgent petition demanding an end to load-shedding after 10 pm.


The petition was filed by Syed Muhammad Iqbal Kazmi who complained that the KESC has resorted to unannounced load-shedding due to alleged low production. In his application submitted on May 23, the applicant said that at the time of its privatisation, the KESC’s book value was Rs260 billion but it was sold for only Rs11 billion.

According to Kazmi, the KESC is receiving 550 megawatts (MW) and 750MW from 1 pm to 8 pm and from 8 pm to 1 am, respectively, from the Water and Power Development Authority and around 80MW from KANUPP. He said that the utility said that there was a shortfall of only 139MW so it makes no sense to have long power outages.

Quoting from the KESC’s documents and pleadings, Kazmi said that the company received funds worth Rs8 billion and it also gets Rs1-billion in subsidies every month from the federal government.

Under the Electricity Act Section 24, the KESC cannot resort to unannounced load-shedding as it has been prohibited by the high court. Kazmi argued that this constitutes contempt of court orders.  All the markets in the city also closed down by 11 pm after which there is no need for load-shedding, he added. The petitioner asked the court to restrict the KESC from carrying out load-shedding after 10 pm. He also requested the court to fix the main petition for hearing and decide it.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2011.

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