ISLAMABAD: Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz, on Tuesday, claimed that the government was working to develop a ‘new technology’ that would help reduce power consumption by 40 to 60 percent and result in significant reduction in electricity bills.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan directed me that Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) take every step that should have a positive impact on the people of Pakistan,” Faraz said in a video message.
Following PM’s instructions, MoST has taken different initiatives including developing new technology to reduce electricity consumption, he said.
As part of this technology, electrical appliances like fans, electricity motors and other items would be manufactured that would consume very low electricity but give maximum output, the minister said.
“The efficiency would be same but bills would be lesser. The electricity that gets wasted presently would be utilised with the help of new technology,” he said.
However, Faraz did not give any timeframe for this technology to be in place.
Earlier on Monday, the officials from MoST failed to convince a Senate panel about the working of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which met here with its Chairman Taj Haider in the chair, was given a detailed briefing from MoST on EVMs.
Detailed multimedia step-by-step presentation was given by officials from the ministry on the whole process and voting system with live demonstration through EVMs, but the committee members were not impressed with the idea.
The Senate panel raised different questions regarding efficacy and security of such a system.
They showed their reservations on the very concept and overall working of the EVMs.
Barrister Ali Zafar, a treasury senator, said the EVM system was just a concept under consideration, adding that it was jurisdiction of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to procure machinery/necessary equipment and frame rules on its usage.
He said the government should not indulge in procurement and manufacturing of such technology, adding only the ECP should conduct experiments in that regard.
Shibli Faraz seemed somewhat perturbed over the remarks by his party colleague. He said the government was advocating for the EVMs in order to bring about transparency in the whole election process, so that unnecessary controversy could be avoided in future elections.
Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a senator from opposition’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said, the ECP had termed introduction of the EVMs as premature, but the government was bent upon infringing upon its domain by going ahead with introduction of such technology.
Sania Nishtar, another PTI senator, who is also heading Ehsaas Programme - the government’s poverty alleviation initiative - seemed equally upset like Faraz, after having witnessed strong opposition to EVMs in the Senate panel.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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