K-Electric stopped from sending bills on approximation

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Advisor to Regional Office of Federal Ombudsman, Mohammad Yameen, has asked the K-Electric (KE) to stop the practice of sending bills on approximation to its consumers.

Hearing applications in Deputy Commissioner Office's Malir Camp, the Advisor declared that sending bills without meter reading was a cruel act against poor citizens and he noticed aggrieved consumers sometimes virtually crying during hearing of their applications before the Ombudsman Court. 

“How a poor man can afford to pay such inflated bills while they have not enough income for two time's meal,” he observed adding that the KE should address such complaints and send bills as per meter reading. 

An applicant, Anjum Muzammil, told the Ombudsman Court that her husband has expired while she has six children and she has been sent an inflated bill on approximation which she was unable to pay. 

The Advisor corrected her bill with consultation of the KE representative, Waqas Ahmed, and suspended the excess billing, providing swift justice. Another applicant, Shakeel Ahmed, complained that whenever they go to KE complaint office, nobody listened and, therefore he came there for justice. The court suspended the excessive bill. 

A crying applicant, Syeda Razia Hasan Zaidi, told the court that she lived on pension of her husband which was Rs 12,000 per month and was not in a position to pay excessive bill. The court ordered revision of the bill as per meter reading and suspended the excessive bill. 

Applicant Tariq Jawaid complained that nobody came for meter reading while the KE continued sending excessive bill. The court ordered the KE change the meter at company's expense and ordered to revise the bill on three months' average basis. 

Applicant Arsalan Ahmed, a crockery dealer, informed that his father had expired recently and the KE sent him an excessive bill of Rs. 52,208 and sought justice from the court. However, the KE representative produced proof of power theft to which Arsalan explained that it was not a picture of his house. The court suspended IRB from his bill to meet the ends of justice. 

Two applications of Shamim Ahmed were also heard whereby both owner of the house and tenant were sent separate excessive bills, The Ombudsman Court suspended the excessive amount from both bills. Applicant Nasir Ahmed alleged that the KE was sending him excessive bill. The KE representative clarified that there was no excessive billing and the applicant even did not pay the correct bill. Therefore the court rejected his application and advised him that he can pay the bill in installments. 

Applicant Naseem Ahmed Advocate produced his bill appearing personally in the court and submitted that his bill was not only sent on approximation but excessive amount was also included in it. The court suspended the excessive bill and ordered to correct the bill. The same kind of order was issued on applications of Rafaqat Abbasi and others.