KESC top officials tender resignation

KARACHI - In a meeting of the Board of Directors of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation on Thursday, newly-appointed KESC head Naveed Ismail got resignation from its executive director business operations while asking some other senior officials to submit their resignations immediately, The Nation has learnt.

Executive Director Business Operations Syed Tanzeem Hussein Naqvi is the first victim of the new management while Akram Durrani, HR Director, Uzma Amjad Ali, Legal Aid Director, Zahid Badshah, IT Director, Wajahat Hussain, Director Store Keeping, Kamran Yusuf, Director FHE also handed over their resignations to the new management, the sources concerned said. Jaleel Tareen is expected to take charge as Chief Financial Officer, the sources added.

The sources said Naqvi resigned because of the appointment of non-technical MD by Al-Abraj. Other reason for his resignation is attributed to KESC financial conditions. The company has to get Rs 56 billion from WAPDA, Rs 17 billion from PSO and Rs 9 billion from Sui Southern Gas Company. It has also been learnt that the KESC has started its production from gas due to rising oil prices. This has left the city with devastating power crisis. The WAPDA was providing cheaper electricity which is now cut up to 400 MW per day due to malpractice in the KESC.

While the officials were busy in the meeting, the city was facing the worst-ever power outage. The recurring power deficiency has increased to 1100 MW while the required amount of electricity is around 2200 MW. The Units 1, 4 and 5 of Bin Qasim power plant are not generating electricity because of the maintenance problem, leading to 50 per cent decline in power generation.

Karachi Nuclear Power Plant, Korangi Thermal Power Plant, Defence Congen desalination plant are immobile and WAPDA has cut off 50 per cent of its power supply to the city.

Under the condition, the citizens of Karachi witnessed another day of prolonged power shortage on Thursday. Almost all the areas were affected by loadshedding. Malir, PECHS, DHA, Lyari, Sadder, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Johar and other areas were without electricity. Interestingly, the government officials appear helpless in overcoming the power crisis in Karachi.

In a statement, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal said he was helpless and unable to do anything to reduce or end electricity crisis. He maintained that in the past his advice and requests for increasing power generation in Karachi had been ignored and consequently the city was facing the worst-ever loadshedding.

Meanwhile, citizens held protest rallies at different places against powers outages. They alleged that KESC complaint centres were not entertaining their phone calls and complaints while consumers see no solution to the persisting agonizing condition.

It is to be noted that the federal government has allowed KESC new management to pass on the burden of hiking international oil prices to the consumers. This has largely raised the question on the working capability of the KESC. The company had been facing corruption allegations in the past.