ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on Thursday hinted at approving power distribution licence to Bahria Town (Private) Limited (BTPL) along with Suppliers of Last Resort (SOLR) and safeguarding financial interest of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and overcharged consumers.
The authority comprising Nepra Chairman Waseem Mukhtar, Member (Technical) Sindh Rafique Ahmad Shaikh, Member (Tariff and Finance) Mathar Niaz Rana, Member KPK, Maqsood Anwar Khan and Member (Law) Amina Ahmed officiated a hearing in this regard.
During the hearing, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IESCO, Dr Muhammad Amjad Khan argued that since the case is under litigation at Islamabad High Court, he cannot utter a single word which can be used in the IHC. However, on repeated insistence from Member Legal, the CEO IESCO said that the decision of the Regulator should not hit his company financially.
Nepra fails to resolve ‘overcharging’ dispute
The Legal Counsel of IESCO, in his arguments said that since IESCO is on the list of those entities which will be privatized, the company’s assets should not decrease as the issue has to be placed before the Council of Common Interests (CCI). He, however, failed to provide documentary evidence of his claim.
The representative of consumers, Nadir Altaf, Advocate, shared the history of dispute between BTPL and IESCO on the handing over/taking over of distribution system of Bahria Town.
He argued that BTPL did not follow the orders of high court with respect to refunding the overcharged amount which has now touched Rs 10 billion. He proposed that NEPRA should take over distribution system and as the Administrator run the affairs till the final decision. He further referred to Rs 460 billion which Bahria Town has to pay as per Supreme Court’s decision, and expressed the possibility of default.
He said BTPL will not follow NEPRAs decision with respect to refund of the amount overcharged from consumers. The issue of cost of rehabilitation of BTPL’s distribution before handing over to the IESCO also came under discussion as there are doubts that estimated cost of Rs 5 billion for rehabilitation of Bahria distribution system will be recovered from all consumers of IESCO.
The CEO IESCO said he cannot recover this amount from all consumers.
Other representatives of consumers expressed extreme reservations at over charging by BTPL, punitive actions for delay in payment of bills and maintenance cost of electricity. “Bahria management digs holes in front of our houses in the event of a delay in payment of electricity bills,” said consumers’ representatives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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