LHC allows Pesco to raise power tariff

Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench, has decided the power tariff determination case in favour of Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco) and also ejected stay order already granted in this regard. According to Pesco spokesman Shaukat Afzal, the court, in its decision, ordered enforcement of enhanced rates of power from the concerned dates.
The government of Pakistan has enhanced power tariff three times from September 2008, which was implemented throughout the country, but the NWFP government challenged the enhancement and got stay order from the court. The stay order of the court halted the implementation of the enhanced electricity rate in the province and power consumers continued to pay bills at old rates, while the consumers of other parts of the country started paying the electricity bills at enhanced rates.
The case was under process for about 13 months and on Thursday, the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, rejected the petition and allowed the Pesco to enforce the enhanced rates from the date of the decision. Earlier, the NWFP government challenged the decision of the increase in power tariff on the recommendations of Energy Monitoring Committee of the province in Islamabad High Court (IHC), which was disbanded in the landmark decision of the Supreme Court's July 31 decision.
Later, the case was referred to the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, which vacated the stay and allowed the Pesco to enforce enhanced rates of power from the concerned dates.
Meanwhile, a press release issued here from Wapda House, said: "For the convenience of consumers, the Pesco has decided the collection of the arrears of enhancement in 13 instalments instead of lump sum, so the consumers in NWFP will pay one instalment per month of arrears, besides their actual electricity consumption bills."
It said that all government departments would have to pay their enhanced electricity arrears along with the forthcoming bill and separate electricity bills were being issued to these departments. The power distribution company has requested the consumers to extend their co-operation regarding early payment of the arrears.