KARACHI: In an effort to alleviate the impact of power outages and high electricity costs on vulnerable households, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has instructed the Energy Department and K-Electric to collaborate on a study aimed at establishing a targeted subsidy for electricity consumers in Karachi. The study will focus on providing affordable electricity to low-income neighborhoods and industrial zones.

According to Chief Minister Sindh, the directive was issued during a meeting at the CM House with K-Electric Chairman Shahryar Chishti and other officials. The discussion centered around reducing load-shedding in underprivileged areas as summer approaches. The chief minister emphasized the need for sustainable solutions to address prolonged power outages, particularly in poor localities.

The chief minister also highlighted the potential of utilizing Thar Coalfield coal to generate cheaper electricity, proposing that this low-cost power be supplied to K-Electric for distribution to impoverished communities. Furthermore, the Sindh government is contemplating a partnership with K-Electric to devise a plan for delivering competitively priced electricity to industrial areas, thereby supporting productivity and cost reduction.

Chairman Chishti assured the chief minister of K-Electric’s readiness to cooperate with the Sindh government in implementing consumer relief measures and enhancing service delivery. A committee, comprising the Commissioner Karachi, Secretary Energy, and the CEO of K-Electric, has been formed to develop proposals for supplying affordable electricity to low-income areas and to explore viable subsidy and supply mechanisms.

The meeting also reviewed broader energy cooperation between the Sindh government and K-Electric, with an emphasis on affordability, uninterrupted supply, and support for vulnerable consumers.