Murad asks K-Electric to work out practical steps to reduce loadshedding

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday voiced concern over extended power outages in Karachi, particularly in low-income parts of the city, and asked K-Electric to come up with a practical way to reduce loadshedding.

The issue came up during a meeting at the Chief Minister House with K-Electric Chairman Shahryar Chishti and Chief Executive Officer Syed Taha. According to a press statement, the chief minister directed the Sindh energy department and K-Electric to jointly carry out a study on launching a targeted subsidy programme for vulnerable electricity consumers in Karachi.

He also asked for proposals aimed at ensuring affordable electricity for low-income neighbourhoods as well as industrial areas, while underlining the need to bring down loadshedding in poorer localities as summer begins.

"We want loadshedding to be reduced, especially in low-income areas, and a sustainable solution should be worked out so poor communities are not burdened by long outages," The chief minister said according to the statement.

Committee formed on affordable power proposals

During the discussion on longer-term options, Murad Ali Shah stressed the importance of producing cheaper electricity, particularly through the use of Thar coal. He proposed that low-cost electricity generated from Thar be supplied to K-Electric so that uninterrupted power could be provided to poor localities at affordable rates.

He further said the Sindh government was examining a partnership with K-Electric to prepare a plan for supplying competitively priced electricity to industrial areas in order to support productivity and lower costs.

K-Electric Chairman Shahryar Chishti told the chief minister that the utility was prepared to work with the Sindh government on steps intended to provide relief and improve service delivery. He said low-cost power generation was necessary for sustainable relief for consumers.

The chief minister directed the energy department to prepare multiple proposals for cheaper electricity and announced the formation of a committee comprising the Karachi commissioner, the energy secretary and the K-Electric CEO.

According to the statement, the committee will submit recommendations on the supply of affordable electricity to low-income areas and will also examine workable subsidy and supply mechanisms.

The meeting also reviewed wider energy cooperation between the Sindh government and K-Electric, with discussions focusing on affordability, uninterrupted electricity supply and support for vulnerable consumers.

The development comes amid concern over prolonged outages in Karachi, especially in underprivileged areas, with the provincial government seeking measures to ease the burden on poorer communities.