A meeting between all stakeholders was under way till the filing of this report. KESC disconnected the power supply to these apartments at 8 am on Friday and restored it at 3:45 pm on Saturday.
Minutes before the supply was restored, a group of protesters torched KESC’s integrated business centre located near al Karam Square.
KESC public relations deputy general manager Ahmed Faraz told The Express Tribune that the company will not reopen the torched centre until those responsible for the vandalism are arrested.
The only reason why power was restored to the neighbourhood was because an MPA from the area intervened, said Faraz. The minister said that if the meeting on Saturday evening fails to reach an agreement, the company will have the right to disconnect power supply again.
Sources said that representatives of a political party held a meeting with the stakeholders at the party’s office in Liaquatabad on Saturday afternoon.
Origins of the KESC vs residents fight
There were no electricity meters installed in these apartments since their construction. When KESC was privatised, it set up electricity meters in just one phase of the four phases in the apartments. It was agreed that all residents would be given bills based on the estimates gathered from these readings.
A representative of the residents told The Express Tribune that KESC held a meeting with the residents of both al Karam and Apsra apartments on January 1, 2009. According to the agreement reached during that meeting, the power utility was supposed issue bills to each resident for 140 units and charge Rs760 for the next three months after which a second round of meetings would be held.
The residents claim that KESC did not turn up for the second meeting and continued to violate the agreement and send overcharged bills. They said that the company did not issue any warnings before disconnecting the supply on Friday.
KESC put up one banner asking residents to clear their dues within a month but it disconnected the supply much earlier than the specified period.
Commercial consumers are consuming the bulk of electricity in the area but KESC is overcharging residential customers, complained the residents. The utility had installed a ‘check meter’ and left the wires open, which were used by the commercial users to steal electricity. They also claimed that there were no tariff meters installed but the bills were issued on the average consumption of electricity.
Riots during the 8-hour power cut
During the eight-hour power shut down, traffic on the main road leading to the apartments remained suspended. Shops and businesses in the neighbourhood were closed as angry protesters resorted to firing in the air early Saturday. They also torched a truck. The police and Rangers apprehended more than 11 protesters.
Schoolchildren were unable to attend their exams on Saturday due to the power cut. Muhammad Younus, a 65-year-old resident, said that he spent the night in the corridor because there was no electricity. He added that there are at least seven heart patients residing in the same building.
Aqeela Ejaz, a housewife, complained that they were unable to pump water due to the power cut. Several residents demanded KESC make separate arrangements for residential and commercial consumers.
A resident showed his electricity bill of Rs194,600 for the month of September and due to be paid on October 7. He said the bill was generated from an average as there were no meters.
He added that the KESC has tried to install meters at least three times but the residents created short circuits and destroyed them in fires.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 5th, 2010.
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