ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on Power Thursday unanimously recommended budgetary proposals of Power Division and its attached departments amounting to Rs 172.17 billion for 101 schemes for the financial year 2022-23 as approved.
The Committee, which met with Chaudhry Salik Hussain in the chair, was informed that out of 101 schemes 87 are ongoing whereas 14 are new schemes/ projects. Most of the schemes/ projects are related to transmission and distribution. A coal power plant of 1320-MW is also part of the development budget.
The Committee was given a briefing on its working, project generation demand-supply gap, transmission and distribution losses, circular debt, tariff reforms, theft control, and removal of transmission constraints, fund subsidies, technological interventions, policy and plan. The Committee vowed to have a comprehensive briefing on the IPPs and circular debt in the upcoming meeting and also on tariff rationalization.
The Committee unanimously passed “The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019”, with the amendment, “462-(O). Cognizance; The offences punishable under the Chapter shall be cognizable but the police shall not take cognizance of an offence under this Chapter except where information of such offence is provided to the police in writing by a duly authorized officer (not below Grade 18) of the Government or by an officer of an equivalent grade of a Distribution Licensee, as the case may be”.
The Committee was told that the Cabinet in its meeting recently held has given one-time exception and allowed connections to the consumers of Islamabad Capital Territory. The Committee asked NEPRA to issue guidelines in this regard within 15 days.
The Committee decided to summon the representative of Karachi Electric (KE) in its next meeting after Saif-ur-Rehman, MNA expressed annoyance at its performance. He said two children died last week after a broken high transmission line fell on them. Five children other were also injured.
“No representative of KE is present in the meeting today. We don’t attend committee meeting just for TA/ DA,” he added.
Chairman Standing Committee explained that the agenda of Committee meeting was Public Sector Development Plan 2022-23. He assured that the KE officials will be summoned in the next meeting.
The committee was informed that steps are being taken to connect electricity being generated in Gilgit-Baltistan to the national grid.
Chairman Standing Committee directed Power Division officials to also start work on transmission projects to evacuate electricity from under-construction dams.
During discussion, Secretary Power Syed Asif Hyder Shah said that sale of electricity to domestic consumers is not economically beneficial.
Chairman Standing Committee also raised the issue of profitability of IPPs. He said that IPPs can even now be compelled to grant more relief and ‘this can be done by locking them in a room’.
Secretary Power stated that revolutionary steps are being taken in Discos’ systems which also include resolution of issues related to billing and connections; he further contended that consumers are facing bad treatment and yet their issues are not being resolved.
Responding to a question, he stated that GIS mapping is being done to remove encroachments, adding that concerned officials will be held responsible for encroachments under the transmission lines.
Riaz Pirzada informed the committee that Mepco has demanded Rs 0.5 million from him to install a transformer, adding that he does not have the required amount for the time being and will pay after selling his corn crop. CEO Mepco assured to give him reasonable time to pay for the transformer.
The meeting was attended by Sher Akbar Khan, Malik Anwar Taj, Saif-Ur-Rehman, Lal Chand, Engr. Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani, Saira Bano, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Secretary, Ministry of Power Division along with senior officers of the relevant departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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