Campaign against power pilferage in Balochistan to be started: Omar Ayub

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan on Thursday said that federal government with cooperation of Balochistan government would start campaign against power pilferage in the province.

Responding to various point raised during cut motions, he said that the government had started a campaign to check power theft in various parts of the country and FIRs against 30,000 people have been registered.

The minister said that about 4,000 have been put behind the bars for their involvement in power pilferage while about 500 employees had been issued show cause notices for their involvement in corruption.

He said currently, there was zero load-shedding on around 80% feeders. He said that the PTI government had brought improvement in the distribution system.

He said that the government was determined to end load shedding on the remaining 20 percent feeders by ending the electricity theft.

He said that during the Pakistan Muslim League (N) government circular debt had reached to Rs 450 billion.

The minister said the previous governments did not enhance the power tariff despite NEPRA’s determination. This move was aimed at winning the general elections and continued power supply to loss making feeders resulted in the piling up of Rs200 billion in dues.

He said NEPRA had recommended an increase of Rs3.84 per unit in tariff, but the PTI led government passed on only Rs1.27 per unit to consumers and protected the domestic consumers using up to 300 units per month. This segment accounted for 75 per cent of total consumers, he said, adding that 95pc small commercial consumers were also exempted from tariff increase.

He said one of the main reasons behind high circular debt was the adverse energy mix as the power sector was dependent on 60pc imported fuels. “We have embarked upon on a plan to reverse this by 2030,” he said, adding that the current share of renewable energy in total mix was just 4pc that would be increased to 20pc by 2025 and to 30pc by 2030.

Omer Ayub said that no concession would be given to power pilferers and the circular debt would be reduced to zero by December, 2020.

He said that about Rs 100 million electricity bill of Prime Minister House pending from the tenure of PML-N had been paid to Islamabad Electric Supply Company.

The minister said that gas price hike will not affect about 45 percent consumers and he will apprise the public through press conference soon. “we have protected the right of poor” he added.

Omer Ayub said Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform the ground breaking of oil refinery at Khalifa point by the end of this year.