KARACHI - A considerable rise has been seen in the complaints against overbilling by K-Electric customers, said a senior official at Federal Ombudsman's Regional Office in Karachi.
Mohammad Yamin, adviser to the Federal Ombudsman reviewing the complaints of K-Electric customers at the camp office of the Deputy Commissioner for Malir here Thursday, said the situation was a cause of grave concern and mental agony for the people of modest resources.
He said the office of the federal ombudsman had appeared to be a unique facility providing relief to the sufferers without any added financial burden.
On the occasion, complainant Mohammad Younus said his residence in the metropolis was closed for past eight months yet he had received an electricity bill of Rs48,000. K-Electric representative Waqas Ahmed said in his report that power theft was committed. This, however, was dismissed by federal ombudsman’s office and additional amount imposed on the customer was abolished.
Another complainant, Syed Sajid Hussain, told the representative of ombudsman that he was a retired employee of the provincial government and was in no position to pay the inflated bills despatched by K-Electric. Similar complaints were made by other consumers including wife of Ghani Nawaz Baig who claimed that despite paying off the electricity bills on a regular basis, non-payment penalty was imposed on her through a recently received K-Electric bill worth Rs70,000. She also presented copies of the paid bills.
The registrar of Federal Ombudsman's Regional Office in Karachi consequent to the hearing of similar grievances directed the facility to ensure that its power consumers are despatched bills in accordance to the meter reading and that too on a regular basis.
