KARACHI – Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has told the Sindh Assembly that people have been suffering due to loadshedding and water shortage, and this is due to the incompetence of the government organisations including Wasa of Hyderabad.Replying to an issue raised by a lawmaker of MQM regarding power disconnection of Wasa by Hesco due to non-payment of electricity bills, he said that Hesco claimed of Rs25 billion in terms of electricity bills for government connections few years. But government contradicted the bills and reconciled it, which were reduced to Rs3.5 billion, he added. He added that Hesco again claimed of Rs1.2 billion for 25,000 power connections to the government sector in 2010, but government reconciled it, which reduced to only 7500 connections. Finance minister held the responsible to the Wasa, water distribution agency for not paying of electricity bills, which led in disconnection of electricity.The government bailed out the government organizations like Wasa, water board Karachi and other agencies, but these common peoples are suffering for these organizations’ incompetence, which do not reconcile and paid their electricity bills, leaving disconnection of power.Local government minister Agha Siraj Durrani supported the views of finance minister and that present government wanted permanent solution of the issue.He said that huge amount was still outstanding to the federal government departments and agencies located in Karachi and Hyderabad, so the provincial local government has suggested the federal government to adjust the amount in the electricity bills outstanding to the Wasa and water board Karachi. He said that bailing out of these organizations led to pilling up of problems, so his department has requested the Chief Minister Sindh to resolve the issue on permanent basis.Earlier, MPA Wasim Ahmed of MQM on point of order said that people of Hyderabad facing water shortage and sewerage problem due to disconnection of power of Wasa by Hesco.Syed Khalid Ahmed of MQM also raised the same issue, saying that Sindh High Court in its verdict has stayed the KESC to not disconnect the electricity of Karachi Water board. After High Court verdict, the KESC started victimization of the citizens of the Karachi by observing loadshedding for about 16 hours in some areas.KESC SECURITY GUARDS RECOVERED KIDNAPPED EMPLOYEESKarachi Electric Supply Company security personnel recovered three kidnapped field employees and two hijacked maintenance vehicles from the illegal possession of agitators belonging to Bilawal Shah Noorani Goth in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area with the help of Rangers and police officials.A faulty PMT, called Shiraz Ali 500 kVA, was also replaced after the defaulters promised to pay outstanding dues. Two maintenance vehicles along with Javed Ali lineman and two other employees had been hijacked by the protesting villagers to demand replacement of the PMT.Before that, the agitators had raided KESC’s offices. Of over Rs4 million outstanding power bills, the consumers had only paid Rs0.5 million.Meanwhile, KESC in a major kunda removal action at National Highway near District Jail Malir, KESC teams on Friday removed a big number of illegal hook connections from Police Chawki PMT in Yousuf Goth. Pieces of PVC twin core wire used for illegal connections were also recovered, in total measuring approximately 80 meters.The action was taken on a complaint from the residents of the area who had also stated that an organized group of local persons had clandestinely been selling electricity to users in Yousuf Goth and Shah Latif Town after stealing it through illegal connections.