ISLAMABAD: Persistent increase in electricity bills, burgeoning line losses, corruption and inefficiency in power supply companies are the main reason for power crisis in the country, said legislators while speaking in National Assembly here on Thursday.
It was fourth day of the debate being continued in the National Assembly on the topic of load-shedding, increase in petroleum prices, dengue fever and other issues.
Zahid Hamid PML-N MNA initiated the debate and said the issue of circular debt should be resolved on priority. Circular debt has increased to Rs 300 billion from Rs 100 billion.
Inefficiency, line losses, overstaffing and corruption in power distribution companies should be eliminated and checked. Work on Mangla dam raising, Bhasha, Neelum, Jhelum, solar, wind and other projects should be initiated on priority basis.
He criticized rental power projects while terming it too costly.
Nadeem Afzal Chan, a PPP MNA said Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) was involved in power riots in Punjab. In three districts of Punjab people were gathered through District Coordination Officers (DCOs).
Raiwind place was paying only Rs 500,000 as tax by coercing excise and taxation department. Government land worth Rs 1 billion in Sargodha was sold on mere Rs 290 million.
He urged the PML-N to announce clear policy on Balochistan and Talibanisation.
Rana Tanvir, a PML-N member said it was beyond his comprehension that power shortfall has been increased to 9000 mw only due to mismanagement and inefficiency.
Government was publishing daily Rs 2 billion to Rs 3 billion.
Independent Power Producers (IPPS) should be paid outstanding amount.
Jamila Gilani said political parties should not do politics on dengue. Media should also avoid publishing dengue death toll as it creates panic among the people.
Taking part in debate on power outage, price hike in petroleum products PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi criticized the government for power and gas loadshedding, price hike and said that the problems of the people have been multiplied since the PPP-led government came to power.
He said that 12 to 14 hours loadshedding is being observed in major cities and rural areas and they have been force to come on streets to stage protest for their basic rights.
He noted that the problems of the masses get resolved in democratic form of government but the issues have been aggravated in Pakistan despite the democracy.
Abbasi said the government has lost it credibility owing to corruption, bad governance, unemployment, power and gas loadshedding, price-hike and law and order situation.
Mian Javed said the people were having great expectations from the PPP-led government but it fails to come up to the expectations of the nation.
He said the nation wants an independent Pakistan where its supremacy could be uphold and nobody should be allowed to violate its sovereignty in the name of drone attacks.
He said PML-N intends to bring out peaceful protests against loadshedding and other problems of the masses.
PPP stalwart Abdul Qayyum Jatoi said that loadshedding is a technical problem which would be addressed through different projects which are underway and some are in pipeline.
He said those who are criticizing the PPP-led government have themselves failed to address the problems of the people especially of South Punjab, adding the PPP-led government is facing internal and external challenges despite that it is endeavouring to resolve the issues of the masses.
He said PPP believes in politics of reconciliation and always took on board all the political parties on national issues. Politics of agitation, protests and violent demonstrations would not give anything but result in damages and losses of properties of the government and people of Pakistan.
Owais Leghari said that the agricultural growth is declining from last many years due to loadshedding and increase in petroleum products.
He said circular debt is increasing with each passing day and the government has failed to maintain it at a level, adding that line losses have also increased alarmingly due to inefficiency of WAPDA and its employees.
He proposed that the National Assembly should have to pass a bill and recommend strict punishment to any WAPDA employee who has been involved in malpractices.
He said there is no improvement in the infrastructure of WAPDA from last four years.
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