ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif Wednesday assured the National Assembly that commercial audit of electricity overbilling was expected to be completed during the next two to three days.
Speaking during Question Hour in the House, he said that apart from possibility of fudging, consumption of more power by consumers during load- shedding free period of about a month and abolition of slabs for consumers also led to increase in electricity bills.
Khawaja Asif said that the exact cause would be determined by the audit and in case of wrong billing not only the amount will be refunded to the consumers but officials responsible would also be punished.
The minister said that 84 percent consumers were not affected by the overbilling while 16 percent were affected.
Earlier, Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali informed the House that design issues of Kishenganga, Ratle, Miyar, Lower Kainai and Pakal Dui are under discussion.
He said that presently discussions are being held with India for resolution of design differences of five hydro electric projects on western rivers.
To another question the minister of State said apart from more power generation, transmission lines will also have to be improved to enable the system to carry more power to consumers.
He said that Nandipur power project is not a failure but progressing successfully towards its completion, adding that second and third turbines will become operational by next month and a steam turbine would be commissioned in January next year.
Abid Sher Ali said as per findings of the Judicial Commission national exchequer suffered a loss of 113 billion rupees due to delay in completion of Nandipur power project.
He said that Kalabagh dam has become controversial and cannot be undertaken till consensus is evolved from all the federating units.
The minister said out of 147 million acre feet of water that passes through Pakistani territory, the country can store only 14.5 million acre feet of water and the remaining goes to the sea due to lack of storage.
Abid Sher Ali said that overbilling of electricity bills is being corrected as per procedure besides taking disciplinary action against those found responsible for wrong reading.
He said automatic reading system has also been started as pilot project in selected sub-divisions.
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