LAHORE: Large-scale changes in the Board of Directors (BODs) of power sector entities is on the cards as the present set of arrangements in this boards is causing more troubles than removing irritants to overcome load shedding, said sources.

The sources further pointed out that the allied political parties of the government are also pressurizing the federal government to accommodate their nominees in these boards. It is generally believed that the present boards are full of former employees of K-Electric and another leading fertilizer company in the country.

Power sector sources blame former Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Power Tabish Gohar behind stuffing them into boards. As many as 40 plus former employees of KE are part of these boards at present, they added, saying that the Senate Standing Committee on Power has also been raising concerns over the state of affairs in the boards of power sector companies.

According to the sources, the federal government was planning to make a mix of professionals, ex-officio members, bankers, legal experts and political nominees from the allied political parties in new boards.

Reliable sources said the NTDC, Pakistan’s only transmission company (TRANSCO) in the public sector, is facing a leadership identity/problem once more, as the NTDC Board has not been able to find the right person as MD NTDC, with seven incumbents holding the position during the last four years. Except for expats, inducted as MDs with very high pay packages, the position has been held by Power Division generalists and departmental professionals during the rest of the time on the look-after basis only. Incidentally, it was found that within a short time both the expats were sacked as MDs by the government being incapable of delivering.

The sources said the Board has now recommended posting of one of its Board members as MD NTDC pending and the selection process is undergoing vide its letter No. NTDC/BoD/21-30 dated 03-06-2022. Prior to it, the BoD had selected and posted one of the Board members, Ali Zain Banatwala, as DMD System Operations (SO) of the company. He was a consultant to the NTDC as well.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022