JI warns govt against proposed increase in KE multi-year tariff

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KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi chief Engr. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has warned of the government that the party would launch agitation if the multi-year tariff of K-Electric was increased.

In a strong wordy press conference at JI Karachi headquarters Idara Noor-e-Haq on Friday evening, the JI leader strictly condemned to what he called sabotage of the hearing.

He said that the JI was refrained from expressing the viewpoint of masses under a designed agenda. He said that what happened during the NEPRA hearing, bolstered our claim that the KE administration has recruited thugs and criminal elements from various parties and were using them for their own interests.

Today, he maintained, the NEPRA was hearing on review of KE’s multiyear tariff for the period June 2016 to June 2023. He added that if the authority increased the tariff, it would be evident that the high ups of NEPRA are hand in glove with KE.

He said that on one hand the progress of KE became much more worst than the then Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC). He added that on the other hand, the company has been earning hefty amounts.

As far as production is concerned the KESC was producing 9300 million units whereas its revenue clocked in at Rs38,000 millions. Later in 2014, the company produced 9300mn units but earned Rs190,000 million, showing a 500 percent increase as compare to 2005, he added.

The JI leader further said that all the illogical increase in earning was due to bogus billing, fuel adjustment charges and other illegal means so the tariff should be reduced considerably.

He said that in 2014, the federal government had directly increased the tariff by 30 percent which is illegal by all means as the authority was bypassed. He also demanded of the NEPRA to withdraw the raise.

He also reiterated the wrongdoing and violations of NEPRA rules by KE and said that the company was receiving billions of rupees while it had downsized its manpower and replaced the material of cables. He added that the company has been receiving 650 megawatt from the government and supplying it to consumers on higher rates which was also violation of NEPRA rules and regulations.

Engr. Naeem urged the NEPRA officials to bound KE management to repay Rs200 billion to its consumers as the amount was collected illegally. It also asked the authorities to get all the production units of KE functional.

JI leaders Muhammad Islam, Muslim Pervez, Imran Shahid, Chaudhary Mazhar, Zahid Askari and others were also present on the occasion.