20000325

'59 percent KESC consumers use under 100 units monthly!'

KARACHI: Some 59 percent of domestic consumers in Karachi have been found consuming less than 100 units of electricity in a month.

This was stated by Wapda Chairman Lt. Gen. Zulfikar Ali Khan, while addressing a press conference at KESC Head Office here on Friday.

He said computer studies have shown that 21 percent families were consuming less than 10 units of electricity whereas 3.6 percent were consuming 11 to 20 units, 12.6 percent consuming 21 to 50 units and 21.6 percent consuming 51 to 100 units.

He said that this has been going on, certainly, with the connivance of KESC staff.

Gen. Zulfikar said the situation was not different on commercial side also where 40 percent shops were consuming less than 10 units of electricity.

He pointed out that a massive power theft is going on in this city and the sufferer is KESC.

The KESC, he said, "is going to put up extra efforts" to arrest this situation. He said the KESC is going to start an exercise in this regard from industrial sector after which the commercial sector, and then posh localities will follow.

He said there is no need for carrying out any operation but to bring structural changes to achieve the desired objectives.

Zulfikar said that financial position of Wapda is not sound. He said that besides massive power theft causing huge losses to KESC, the rising oil and gas prices were two other factors contributing to increasing financial burden of KESC which has risen to Rs. 7 billion a year on this count.

He said: "What is the justification for the federal and provincial government departments to keep KESC and Wapda's Rs 4 billion in their accounts?"

When asked what would be his response if the federal government refuses to incur the additional expenditure of KESC on account of rising cost of furnace oil and gas price, Zulfikar said he would not comment on it right now and would rather wait for a reply from federal government. APP