Facilitating the public: K-Electric wants permission to issue ‘hook’ connections

The power utility claims decision to remove such connections will violate residents’ right to electricity.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought comments from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) for disallowing the K-Electric from issuing temporary electricity connections to ‘illegal’ residential settlements in the city.

The K-Electric management had gone to court against Nepra and others for disallowing them from issuing temporary electricity connections to illegally-constructed buildings and slums.

The petitioner submitted that the Nepra had issued a letter, dated February 27, directing that the existing hook (temporary) connections be regularised within three months. The power utility said that such directions cannot be applied to the vast number of inhabitants of illegally-constructed premises or buildings as well as the katchi abadies and un-leased areas of the city where hook connections are used.

The power utility’s management added that the persons inhabiting in the illegally constructed buildings have a fundamental right to receive electricity under Article 9 of the Constitution. “Any denial to provide approved connections to such occupiers may violate Article 9 of the Constitution.”

The K-Electric management urged the court to declare the directions issued by the Nepra illegal, arbitrary, mala fide, without jurisdiction and a violation of Articles 9, 10-A, 18 and 25, read with Article 4 of the Constitution.

The power utility also sought a declaration that it may provide power connections to new buildings, where the infrastructure has been laid down in accordance with the approved building plan, but no ‘approved completion plan’ has been issued by the SBCA due to minor deviations.

The bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, adjourned the hearing till June 22 when the respondents will file their comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2014.