Shortage of fuel supply to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) has worsened power crisis in the country, taking shortfall to 7000MW during the last 24 hours. According to Pepco daily brief total shortfall is 6020MW. Some media reports suggest that the Pepco authorities did not count unscheduled load shedding hours.
Therefore, total power shortage is around 9000MW. Sources told Business Recorder that the Ministry of Water and Power is likely to request the Ministry of Finance for release of funds to the PSO by Saturday (yesterday). A timely action by the concerned ministries could improve the situation by Monday (tomorrow).
It may be noted that many industrial units were closing their operation for six to eight hours. Many of them were seriously thinking of closing down their units for at least one month, and if so, it would increase unemployment in the country. The government functionaries have no clear-cut answer about availability of electricity.
The industrialists running their units at the Faisalabad-Sheikhupura road told this scribe that power supply to their units was relatively impressive and all burden was being shifted to the domestic consumers. Resultantly, the domestic consumers in and around Faisalabad-Sheikhupura road were very disturbed. They were merely given a chance of refilling their water tanks through motor pumps or recharge their cellular phones and that's it.
Pepco authorities said that they were facing problems in recovering their dues from public sector entities therefore they were unable top pay to PSO. The PSO supplies Rs 32 billion diesel to thermal units and it is paid only Rs 10 billion per month.
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