Sindh govt’s unpaid power dues will be deducted at source: Power Division
ISLAMABAD: The Power Division informed a National Assembly panel on Monday that reconciled unpaid electricity dues of provincial government will be deducted at source, with overdue receivables of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) surging to Rs 65 billion.
The figures were shared by the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of HESCO and SEPCO with a National Assembly committee headed by Syed Waseem Hussain, which was tasked with resolving long-pending electricity dues against departments of the Sindh government.
MNA Syed Abrar Ali Shah supported the stance of both DISCOs, stressing that reconciled arrears should be cleared immediately.
READ MORE: PM sets 31st deadline for CSs to clear reconciled Discos’ dues
The Sindh government was represented by Additional Secretaries from the Energy and Finance Departments, as well as the Special Secretary of the Irrigation Department.
However, differences of opinion emerged between Sindh government representatives and the CEOs of both DISCOs over the payment of overdue amounts, including those already reconciled.
Special Secretary Power Division Arshad Mohmand suggested that both DISCOs should explore recovery of dues through third-party mechanisms, similar to the model being practiced by K-Electric.
Briefing the panel, HESCO CEO Faizullah Dahri said the company’s receivables against Sindh government departments had reached Rs 29.805 billion. Of this, Rs 18.113 billion relates to non-communicated meters from March 2024 to December 2025, Rs 1.650 billion to non-AMR and other issues over an 18-month period, Rs 2.128 billion to new connections installed or added after agreements, and Rs 96 million pertains to claims involving 92 connections.
He stated that Rs 1.5 billion of the amount has been disowned by the Energy Department and is yet to be settled, while Rs 1.147 billion has already been resolved.
Dahri further said that Rs 18.73 billion relates to disowned connections for the period May 2019 to December 2025.
He explained that some connections had been shifted to the Government of Sindh (GoS) ledger, while others fall under non-communication claims, bringing the calculated receivables to around Rs 15 billion.
He claimed that even when reconciled claims are cleared by the Energy Department, the Finance Department creates undue hurdles, and suggested establishing a dedicated section to expedite payments of reconciled dues.
SEPCO CEO Aijaz Ahmed Channa informed the panel that the company’s receivables against the provincial government and its entities stood at Rs 35.9 billion. This includes Rs 10.390 billion against provincial government departments, Rs 947 million against autonomous bodies, Rs 1.972 billion against local bodies, Rs 2.957 billion against City District Governments, and Rs 19.593 billion against Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs).
He said that although the overdue amounts had been reconciled with officials of the concerned departments, the Energy and Finance Departments were not extending the required cooperation.
He added that whenever DISCO staff attempt to disconnect defaulting departments, they face resistance. Additional Secretary Finance Department, Ijaz Ahmed claimed that there are issues in the billed amount as this is not as per the meters’ readings. His claim, however was refuted by the CEO SEPCO.
The convener of the NA panel observed that the issue cannot be resolved without a high-level meeting involving the Power Division and senior leadership of all Sindh government departments, chaired by the Chief Secretary.
He emphasized the need for a permanent solution and a viable mechanism to prevent recurrence of such situations in the future.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026