Gulshan-e-Hadeed was established in the 1990s. It has two phases. The plots there were allotted to the employees of Steel Mills. Phase 1 was the fortunate area that received electricity from Steel Mills whereas Phase 2 was very unfortunate that Steel Mills handed it over to KESC.
Now the situation has completely changed. Gulshan-e-Hadeed, where there wasn’t any load-shedding is now one of the worse victims of load shedding! The employees are very worried as they cannot sleep properly because KESC has started consecutive load-shedding for 6 hours!
A rumour doing the rounds these days is that the KESC employees who were terminated from their jobs have started damaging the wires and other electrical apparatus. This is their means of pressurising KESC in to restoring their jobs. If this is really the situation, I want to tell them that we share your sorrows after you were dismissed but it doesn’t mean that you start disturbing the common people to register your protest.
Another rumour circling, however, maintains that KESC is itself involved in these indiscretions so that the labour union can be defamed and KESC authorities will have an opportunity not to restore the deposed on their jobs. Today, the situation is that people are helping themselves and climbing on electric poles to fix wires so that electricity can be restored. What an indictment of KESC and its functioning.
I want to raise my voice saying that all those institutions that directly affect the nation should never be privatised and the government should hold them under their custody unless the private sector has the capability to function properly and take care of public interest as well. Let the mess that KESC has become be a lesson for us.
HAFIZ MUHAMMAD NOMAN
Karachi
