ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has reportedly decided to monetize free electricity to officers of power sector with immediate effect whereas this facility to employees will be withdrawn in the second phase to avoid unrest, well informed sources told Business Recorder.
There are ten power Distribution Companies (Discos), Iesco, Fesco, Mepco, Gepco, Lesco, Sepco. Hesco, Tesco, Pesco and Qesco, Generation Companies (Gencos), National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) and Power Information Technology Company (PITC) under the administrative control of the Power Division. The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is now under administrative control of Ministry of Water Resources.
As per policy in vogue, facility of free electricity is allowed to the employees of Discos/Gencos/NTDC/PITC/Wapda in accordance with the following permissible limits: for staff in grade 1-4, non-generation free supply concession (units) is 100 per month and generation free supply concession is 300 units per month;(ii) grade 5-10, 150 units and 600 units; (iii) grade 5-10, 200 units and 600 units; (iv) officers in grade 16, 300 and 600 per month; (v) officers in grade 17, 450 and 650 units per month; (vi) officers in grade 18, 600 and 700 units; (vii) officers in grade 19, 880 and 1000 monthly; (viii) officers in grade 20, 1100 and 1100 units monthly; and (ix) officers in grade 21, 1,300 units monthly.
Wapda, Discos: No employee to get free electricity: ministry
The Senate Standing Committee on Power and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have directed that the facility of free electricity provided to the employees of power sector may be monetized instead of providing this facility through billing and may be paid from the monthly salary to employees.
Details of annual monetization expenditure with respect to BPS 17 and above (number of officers based on June 2002 is 7,645 of which number of officers of Gencos was 1,036, Discos 4,615, NTDC 1937 and PITC 57) gives then a total entitlement of 4,327,260 units per month, the price of which is Rs 91,898,021.
The cost of electricity of 51,927,120 being provided to them is Rs 1,102,776,247 per year.
The Power Division has recommended that employees falling in BS-1-16 may not be included in the scheme of monetization in the first phase to avoid unrest and also in order to implement the scheme in a phased manner.
Approximate expenditure in respect of employees in BS 1-16 is as follows: Gencos 7,360, Discos 79,024, NTDC, 18,305 and PITC 60. The total expenditure on their entitlement is Rs 5,310,362,819.
The Power Division has recommended that the officers of Discos/Gencos/ NTDC/PITC/Wapda in BS 17 and above may have their units monetized at electricity rate of the said category. This way the amount of the bill shall be paid by the employees instead of their respective companies.
The Power Division maintains that the same policy for the staff of the same companies/organizations in BS -1 to 16 may be implemented in the second phase (separate summary in this regard will be submitted by the Ministry of Energy Power Division).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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