Between 60 and 70 percent cases are now being handled at the regional office of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) that was established for resolution of consumers complaints against the K-Electric. An assistant director has been posted and assigned to resolve the consumers' cases instead of referring all complaints to the main office in Islamabad. An official at the sub-office in Bahadurabad told the Business Recorder that earlier their office was playing a post-office role but now situation has changed and cases are being processed and resolved under the supervision of an assistant director.

For NEPRA officials, now purpose of the Karachi office is being served because the past practice was quite time-consuming as most of applications went unresolved due to heavy load of cases in the Nepra's head office.

Nepra had established regional complaint office in Bahadurabad Karachi during the early months of 2014 on request of consumers. An assistant director, consumer affairs, along with two other subordinates was posted to entertain the citizens' electricity-related complaints. However, the office turned dysfunctional within six months since its establishment when the assistant director got himself transferred to Islamabad due to security issues. Since his transfer, the regulator had not filled the post. Only a clerk was available at the office and he too was working as a postman. He was just collecting the complaints and sending them to the NEPRA Islamabad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017