Through the columns of your Esteemed Newspaper , I would like to bring to your kind notice as well as of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to the excesses being perpetrated by K-Electric. As per existing K-Electric policy implemented since 2012 , K-Electric is generally providing 1 No K-Electric meter for the entire house comprising several floors and occupied by different family. It is providing separate K-Electric meters to each consumer/floor subject to the sublease of each floor.
There are millions of tenants in Karachi as it is difficult for a common man to have his own house in Karachi. Obviously the sub-lease cannot be executed in favor of tenants. So to fulfill K-Electric above requirement forged sub-lease in the name of sons/Daughter/relatives of landlord are being prepared but the tenants are physically living in each floor. K-Electric is therefore promoting corruption and forgery by making it compulsory to have sub-lease of each floor for separate K-Electric meter per floor.
The sub-lease of each floor costs huge amount and creates the legal complication that the entire house cannot be sold unless all the sub-lease holders consent to it. It cannot be sold as a unit/complete house but can only be sold in portions/ floor wise. The K-Electric sole purpose for asking for sub-lease of each floor as a pre-condition for providing separate Electric meter is to compel the landlord to have 1 No K-Electric meter for entire house comprising several floors so as to generate maximum revenue due to higher tariff slab for the total consumption of house instead of lower slab for the consumption of individual consumer/floor .
Every electricity consumer is legally entitled to have a separate K-Electric Sub meter for recording his Electricity consumption irrespective of whether he is a landlord/ tenant/ family living in the different floor of same house.
Every power distribution company in Pakistan (Except K-Electric) provides separate Electric meter per floor to its each consumer on mere simple application whether the house is occupied by landlord or tenants and no company asks for sub-lease of each floor for providing separate Electric meter. This was also the policy of K-Electric before 2012 and of KESC before its privatization in 2007. Similarly SSGC & SNGPL provide separate gas meters per floor to each of its consumer on simple application whether the house is occupied by landlord or tenants and no gas company asks for sub-lease of each floor for providing gas connection.
It is requested that K-Electric may kindly be directed to restore K-Electric pre-2012 policy of providing separate K-Electric meter to each consumer per floor as per the law of land and the policy of others Power Distribution & Gas companies in Pakistan.
ISHTIAQ AHMAD,
Karachi, December 14.