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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Power Wednesday directed the Power Division to prepare a comprehensive policy for removal of kundas (hooks), which presently are about 1.4 million across the country.

Presided over by Senator Saifullah Abro, the committee slammed the Power Division and its attached department/organisation for deliberately using delaying tactics in resolution of issues related to the power sector.

Senate penal chief Abro and the Secretary Power Division, Ali Raza Bhutta, again locked horns on different issues including implementation status of some of the recommendations made by the committee in its previous meetings.

The tone of both, chairman Standing Committee and the Secretary Power was seen as uncompromising.

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Chairman Standing Committee continuously taunted the Secretary Power when different agenda items came under discussion.

None of the Committee members made efforts to pour water on the fiery situation.

Senator Abro hinted that he would hold an internal meeting of the committee members to formulate a policy to deal with the Power Division.

He also hinted to hold a meeting with Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani to apprise him about the non-cooperative behaviour of the Power Division’s top brass.

The Committee was informed that presently, number of Kunda connections is 1,389,184 in different Discos except Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) and the Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco).

In Sepco, the number of kundas (hooks) are 593,913, followed by the Pesco with 408, 323, Hesco, 277,793, Mepco, 105,856, Qesco 2,496, and the Iesco 803.

The committee asked on what basis the report was prepared, replying to which the secretary, Power Division, said that the report is made through the field formation by the same companies and not from any outside source.

The chairman Committee questioned as to why this electricity theft is not being stopped.

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The secretary, Power Division said that the electricity theft is a non-cognizable offence, and in order to cease it, recommendations have been made time and again that it should be a cognizable offence, so that the concerned department can be given security when taking action against those responsible.

The chairman Committee emphasised that such an open crime must not be allowed and those responsible to promote “kunda culture” must be tracked down.

The committee sought graphical description on the district-wise number of connections and losses in the next meeting.

Secretary Power Ali Raza Bhutta, while agreeing to the viewpoint of member, said that the hooks numbers are estimated.

The committee directed the Power Division to formulate a policy to remove kundas across the country as these are one of the main reasons of the circular debt.

There was, however, consensus among the members that most of the kundas are fixed in connivance of the Discos employees.

The chairman Standing Committee revealed that nearly 50 air conditioners are installed at the residence for Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, former Opposition Leader in the National Assembly but his monthly bill is few thousands.

“This is all being done with the connivance of the Discos employees,” he said.

Consideration on the matter referred by the chairman Senate on the power issues at the export processing zone, Risalpur, which is one of the fastest growing industrial zones in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, was deliberated upon in detail.

It was observed that no electricity supply from the Pesco has been given, on account of which no export has taken place for three years. The Committee was apprised that over a period of three decades, only $150 million revenue has been generated and exports amounting to only $40 million have taken place.

The Committee was apprised by the Joint Committee Industrial Zone that from the beginning, the Zone was powered through one electricity Feeder and the second Feeder was added recently by the KPEZDMC, but due to fast industrialisation in the zone, both feeders are over loaded now and with constant fluctuation, tripping, and load shedding, loss of valuable electric equipment is taking place.

The Committee members were apprised that the over 200 industries are jointly running under the umbrella of EPZ, KPEZDMC, and PASDEC, which are an earning source for over 10,000 direct families in the region and a source of tax revenue to the government.

It was lamented that no cooperation at the part of the Pesco is being extended to the EPZ; the matter is now pending for 20 years.

Besides, a connection of 132-kV, 100 percent completed grid station under the PASDEC to the national transmission line is pending since 2012 due to non-payment of the remaining amount of Rs120 million. The officials of the Pesco informed the Committee that 640 factories have closed down in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa due to shortage of electricity.

The officials said that a power transformer will be installed by December 2021 in the region.

The secretary, Power Division also informed the Committee that connection from the grid station of the Pakistan Stone Development Company (PSDC) will supply electricity to the EPZ, according to the regulations until a dedicated grid is installed in the region.

The chairman Committee issued direction to the Pesco to solve the matter at its earliest as it is causing a huge loss of millions of dollars.

The chairman Committee sought a report on appointment of MD, NTDC and new advertisement for the post of MD, GHCL, which has been pending long by now.

The secretary, Power Division informed the Committee that the report on the appointment of MD, NTDC is awaited by the Board of Directors (BoDs), since the Board is newly constituted, and the BoDs is the competent authority to deliberate upon the report.

The chairman Committee sought a report on the new advertisement for the post of MD, GHCL in the light of the High Court judgment.

The secretary, Power Division contented, that the board is the final authority for all the legislative and recruitment decisions, under the Companies Act, 2017, after the completion of due process.

The secretary Power Division further stated that the advertisement is aptly published according to the due requisites of the appointment.

Moreover, an appeal against the decision of the High Court has also been made.

The chairman Committee observed that the matters pertaining to the appointment of the MD and the new advertisement are being deliberately delayed with mala-fide intentions.

“The Power Division is delaying the matter over one pretext or the other aiming to bluff the Senate Committee,” he further added.

The chairman Committee showed concern that no heed is being paid on the recommendation of the Senate Committee. “It seems like the BoDs has been given authority all in all, without any check and balance over them,” he reiterated.

The Committee, unanimously, observed that the decisions of the BoDs are supreme decision and all other authorities are held worthless over their decision.

The chairman Committee also observed that the secretary Power Division showed lack of interest in the discussion taking place in the Committee, and seemed like, not bound to answer any of the questions, rather, deliberately engaging in arguments when asked to reply.

The chairman Committee sought tabulated report on the number of meetings of the BoDs and the expenditure cost on each meeting.

He further directed that a complete financial report be also provided by the Power Division.

The chairman Committee with the consensus of the members decided to lay the matter of BoD in the House, and hold them responsible to answer their working, which has led the power plants efficiency drop from 4,574MW to 2,168MW.

The secretary, Power Division, informed the committee that the compensation package has also been rightly not approved by the BoD with retrospective effect.

He said that no compensation package has retrospective effect also has to take into consideration the financial position of the department.

The Committee lamented how the department can give high paid salary to few employees and do not have the financial resources for compensation for those poor families who have lost their precious lives.

While taking briefing on the promotion policy of engineers from LS-II to the highest rank, the chairman Committee questioned the appointment of the General Manager (HR) PEPCO, Sagheer Ahmed, and directed to submit the full record of the recruitment process of the said official in the next meeting.

The officials of the Power Division informed the Committee that the direct induction quota for Jr Engineer is 70 percent for fresh BE (Electrical/Electronics) from recognised university having PEC registration, and 30 percent promotional quota from among the UTS having Graduate Engineering Degree (Electrical and Electronics) five percent, diploma holders 12.5 percent, matriculation UTS 7.5 percent, and B-Tech (Hons) five percent having four years’ experience.

Further, it was apprised that the UTS include categories of LS-I/MRSS/SSO/LFM-1/Test Inspector.

Similarly, direct induction quota as LS-I is 25 percent and promotional quota for the same is 75 percent in the same way the direct induction quota for LS-II is 45 percent and promotional quota is 55 percent.

The Chairman Committee gave recommendations to review the promotional policy of the engineers from LS-II.

Further discussion on achievement of GHCL in the light of report MD, GHCL was also considered.

The meeting was attended by Senator Fida Muhammad, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Zeeshan Khanzada, Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai, Sana Jamali, Haji Hidayullah Khan, and Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi.

Senior officials from the Power Division along with the attached departments were also present.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

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