Minister denies discrimination in power, gas loadshedding: no plan to raise electricity tariff in near future

The Federal Minister for Water and Power, Naveed Qamar, on Tuesday said that no discrimination is being made with Punjab regarding gas and electricity load shedding. The load management quota is being implemented in accordance with prescribed quota of electricity and gas of the provinces, he said while replying to queries of reporters here at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
He said that load management was being carried out in accordance with a set quota of power and gas of the provinces. When asked about any increase in power tariff, the Minister said that there was no plan in hand to raise power tariff in the near future.
About less production by power stations, Qamar said that the government was focusing on optimum utilisation of local resources to operate oil and gas power stations. However, he added that furnace oil prices are scaling up at international level, which would increase input costs, ultimately raising the cost of power production. About construction of controversial dams by India, Naveed said Pakistan had formed a body to monitor and sort out all issues related to an arbitration process between Islamabad and New Delhi on the Kishan Ganga Dam.