Discrepancies: FIR registered against KE officials for over-billing, over-charging of units

Utility terms complaint 'wrong and baseless'

KARACHI: A case has been registered against K-Electric (KE) officials for over-billing and overcharging of electricity units.

The case was registered at the New Karachi Industrial Area police station on the complaint of a citizen, who had approached the court to register a case against the power supply company.

Police officials said that four officers of KE - general manager Imran Khan, general manager Jahanzaib, deputy general manager Sajjad Ahmed Shaikh and deputy general manager Zeeshan - were nominated in FIR No 356/15 under Sections 420/468/471/34, fraud and forgery. No arrest has been made as yet and police officials have said that the investigations are under way.



"I frequently approached the KE officials and requested them to do justice but they did not cooperate with me and finally I approached the court," said the complainant, Muhammad Sharif, while talking to The Express Tribune. "K-Electric was treating me as a commercial consumer despite the fact that I am not a commercial user."

K-Electric refuted the allegations in a statement. "The power utility will respond strongly against the lodged FIR," it said, adding that, "various forums have been created where consumers can register their complaints". The utility pointed out that the theft ratio in most parts of Surjani stands at over 60 per cent, whereas the bill recovery or paying ratio is less than 30 per cent. "KE officers are rigorously making their best efforts to curb power theft, which is a heinous crime. During recoveries and raids against power theft, KE staff has been threatened with baseless FIRs and continuously faces challenges."

The KE spokesperson added that "customers are sent bills according to meter readings of each locality — KE's technical staff ensured that its valued customers get electricity bills according to the units consumed. In the case of any discrepancy in the number of units consumed, the cost of the bill is promptly rectified by the technical teams and the additional cost paid is adjusted."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.