ISLAMABAD - The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has now taken serious notice of a secret plan of the KESC pertaining over billing to pressed consumers in monthly bills and also sought a written response within fourteen days from the company.
This notice has been issued from Consumer Affair Division of the regulator and after finding response from the company the Nepra would take final decision in this regard. Practice of additional, average and detection billing is altogether contrary to the Nepra Act, sources privy to development further said on Tuesday, adding, that this outrageous increase in power units under the said plan could cast a huge impact on the consumers’ bills, if this plan implemented.
It is testimony of the fact that after the disclosure of this million rupees worth scam, the KESC management, however, suspended DGM (Distribution & Finance) Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui under the charge leakage of e-mails informing secret plan of over billing to the consumers and formed an eight-member committee to probe the matter. This inquiry was only to reduce the heat appeared after the disclosure of this million rupees worth scam, sources further said, adding, that so far this inquiry bore no fruit.
Available copy of the secret plan with TheNation reveals that the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) had allegedly plotted to gobble millions of hard earned rupees of the consumers by fleecing them through monthly electricity bills of September. The direction of over billing of 80 lakh power units to pressed consumers in monthly bills was given and to avoid leakages about the said secret plan of over billing to the consumers, the KESC had brought all the ‘G Sheet’ (sheet of meter readings) from the business centres to its head office.
Deputy General Manager (DGM) Distribution & Finance Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui sent the plan to 17 officials through e-mails and directed them to not leave it on the computer operators.
The concerned officials were advised to impose 80 lakh extra units on consumers in bills of September. The DGM had also directed the GMs to increase 10 to 15 units of electricity of all consumers being billed on normal mode and further increase 50 units straight for all consumers that were billed on assessed and average mode last month. It was also directed to make it done irrespective of anything.
It is worth mentioning here that daily The Nation had published this heavy scam of looting emptied pockets of hard-pressed consumers already bearing heavy brunt of high prices of per unit of electricity on October 4, 2012. The regulatory authority of power sector was expected to deeply look into the matter to avoid further fleecing of the poor consumers in future and to bring the culprits to task.
The KESC spokesman when contacted to get the knowledge about the status of suspended official Deputy General Manager (DGM) Distribution & Finance Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui and findings of inquiry committee but to no avail as no response till the filing of this story was given despite many attempts and all remained in vain.