Senate body for scrapping deal with KESC

Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power on Monday recommended to the government to scrap 650MW power sale agreement with Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) to provide relief to consumers in other parts of the country. Chairman of the committee, Zahid Khan who presided over the committee meeting, threatened to resign if committee''s recommendations are not implemented in letter and in spirit.
The committee also expressed serious reservations over failure of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) to implement its recommendations to end exemptions of loadshedding to the elites of the country, including the Presidency, Prime Minister''s House and the diplomatic enclave. In last week of May, senate panel had recommended ending the exemption of loadshedding to the elites of the country and suggested that only hospitals and sensitive military installations should be exempted from loadshedding. It had also recommended that exemption of loadshedding should be ended for the President House, Prime Minister''s House, Parliament House, Supreme Court, Judges Colony, ministers enclave and the diplomatic enclave. However, these recommendations have not been implemented.
Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) chief Yousuf Awan who was summoned by the Senate Standing Committee on Power revealed that there was no loadshedding at the Presidency, Prime Minister House, Supreme Court, GHQ, headquarters of ISI, National Accountability Bureau and National Database and Registration Authority and the Judges Colony. The disclosure comes at a time when the country is facing worst loadshedding ranging from 12-20 hours a day which accounts for severe criticism and the committee chairman threatened to resign if these areas are not treated at par with the rest of the country in terms of hours of loadshedding.
As temperatures across the country continue to rise over 40 degrees, the disclosure by the Iesco chief had drawn severe criticism from the Senate committee. "It is a serious matter and I am disgusted that a common man is facing up to 21 hours of loadshedding while the President, Prime Minister, Generals and Judges were exempted from loadshedding and were enjoying uninterrupted power supply even though they can afford to keep generators," Khan said adding that hospitals and centers managing healthcare should be exempted from loadshedding.
He directed the officials to bring an end to the discrimination within 24 hours and report back to the committee on progress. The committee also summoned the Minister and Secretary Water and Power to explain why government offices and residences of government functionaries were not undergoing loadshedding as the rest of the country.