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KESC devices unique

way for getting a

whopping revenue

WIRASAT HUSSNAIN

KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has issued two electricity bills to all its consumers during April and will continue to do so till June 1996 so that the corporation's earnings may be inflated by this means and an impressive revenue collection picture may be presented before the Prime Minister.

Consumers who received the first bills for payment by April 4, have now received fresh bills for payment by April 27, i.e. two bills in one month.

Talking to Business Recorder on Monday, a high-up of the corporation said that the Managing Director of KESC had in a meeting of a few selected officers instructed them to speed up the recovery of the accumulated electricity charges.

He said the revenue of the KESC was already on the increase as it had fleeced consumers by "reportedly installing rigged metres at new sites." There is an alarming increase in the applications for the checking of metres and verification of its reading and recording. This is an indicator that the new metres are either defective or rigged to fleece the consumers."

The source said that the lower staff had shown some resistance to this implicitly coercive method of revenue generation but in vain. "They have been threatened with disciplinary actions in case they do not comply with the instructions. At the same time obedient servants are promised rewards."

Some of the bills scrutinized by this reporter showed that the charges, on the average basis, have been calculated after inflating the readings. There are also instances where consumers having more than one metres and using only one metre, have been charged also for the metre which they have kept unused for the sake of economy.

There are also instances to show that despite overcharging the KESC has refused adjustments of bills and is asking people to pay the wrong bills before asking for any correction.

The staff at the billing office is usually indifferent to the problems of the consumers and continues to advise them, "You better pay this time. We will carry out correction in your next bill."

"This next time never comes. I have been visiting the billing office for the last more than one year. The staff now recognises me and upon seeing me entering their room they ridicule me. However, I am determined to resist their indecency as long as I can," said one consumer waiting in a queue at the billing office for the correction of his bills.

The official of the KESC said that rampant corruption in the KESC had corroded its various departments and there appeared little chance of any correction.

He said that unless consumers put up resistance to KESC high handedness, nothing would happen.