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CS asked to sort out issue of outstanding electricity dues against KMC

By Ishaq Tanoli 2019-07-25
KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Sindh chief secretary to convene a meeting of all stakeholders and work out a plan to pay the outstanding electricity dues against the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to K-Electric.

A three-judge apex court bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked the chief secretary to hold the meeting on Thursday (today).

Besides the KMC and KE representatives, the meeting would also be attendedby the Karachi mayor, local government and finance secretaries for finding out a final solution about payment of dues to the power utility.

The bench issued these directives on a petition of the KMC, which approached the apex court with a plea to restrain the KE from disconnecting power supply of its ofñces forfailing to pay its dues after the Sindh High Court had dismissed an identical plea of the city`s municipal administration.

In the last hearing, the bench had directed KE to restore the electricity of the head office of KMC and its parks.

SC berates LG secy for summoning mayor On Wednesday, the mayor, LG secretary, KE officials and others appeared before the bench and Mayor Akhtar again complained that the provincial authorities had encroached upon his powers.He further submitted that the local government elections were held on the directiveofthe apexcourt,buttheelectedbodies were powerless.

The LG secretary claimed that the mayor was more powerful than anybody else if he was willing to work. He added that the mayor and KMC officials were not attending meetings.

Justice Ahmed came down hard on the secretary and said that Mr Akhtar was an elected mayor and why was he being summoned in the office of the secretary of the local government.

The courtasked the LGsecretarythathe should visit the office of the mayor.

The court also remarked that what was the use of being the city mayor if he could not address the issue of electricity dues.

Justice Ahmed asked the mayor and the LG secretary whether it was the duty of the apex court to get addressed the issue of electricity dues.He also expressed resentment over the power utility and said that the KE was not a charity organisation, but it was here just to make money.

The mayor submitted that KE also had to pay Rs7 billion to the KMC on account of rent ofelectriccables and poles.

In April, the Supreme Court had asked the Sindh government to pay the outstanding electricity dues of the KMC to the KE in five months in as many instalments and also directed the KMC to pay its electricity bills from April.

Earlier, the KMC had petitioned the SHC after the KE had disconnected power supply to one of its parks for non-payment of dues. However, the high court had dismissed the plea of the KMC in January and told it to pay the dues. Later, the KMC approached the SC as it said that the power utility also disconnected power supply to its head ofHce and other ofEces for non-payment of dues.