Ministry of Water and Power is all set to wind up Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and establish a monitoring unit as an arm of the Ministry to oversee the affairs of power sector after getting approval from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This was disclosed by the Managing Director/ Additional Secretary Water and Power Ministry, Omer Rasool at a meeting of parliamentary panel convened to discuss issues in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) presided over by Dr Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal. Secretary Water and Power, Younas Dagha also attended the meeting briefly.
Malik Asad Khan, Chairman Pesco Board, criticised the Ministry and Pepco for undue involvement in the affairs of the power company and withholding summary of the permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the last one and a half years. He maintained that it was decided 13 years ago that Pepco would be wound up within six months but the organisation still exists and Discos' top brass gives more attention to Pepco than the board which is empowered to take decisions.
Managing Director Pepco expressed his helplessness in this regard and 'demanded' the head of the parliamentary panel take up this issue with the Minister for Water and Power, Khawja Asif. Omer Rasool, however, challenged the observation of Chairman Pesco Board and argued that the country's power sector has deteriorated to an alarming level after its unbundling in 2004.
"In 2004, we had enough electricity to cater to the country's requirements and even for export but after that its deterioration began and the present situation is no secret from anybody. Incumbent boards are also responsible for this situation," he added. Boards were given powers of appointments, transfers to retention of funds, development and management of electricity supply and demand but wide gaps were witnessed which are yet to be plugged despite untiring efforts of an incumbent team of Water and Power Ministry headed by Secretary Younas Dagha. He, however, commended the role of Chairman Pesco Board for his efforts to resolve issues of the company.
"Boards exercised their powers injudiciously with few exceptions. We are trying to fill those gaps by centralizing things," the MD Pepco continued. Omer Rasool maintained that the Ministry of Water and Power is trying to appoint board members strictly in accordance with the SECP rules but the level of deterioration is so high that it will take time to bring things back on track. "Water and Power Ministry wants limited independence of boards so that they work sensibly," he further added.
According to Additional Secretary/MD Pepco, a summary has been sent to the Prime Minister for Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) to wind up Pepco and set up a monitoring unit comprising 120 officers/ experts of Pepco aimed at overseeing different affairs of power sector. Presently, the strength of Pepco is 400 employees. Pesco officials shared details of development working in the company including new grid stations. The committee decided that Chairman Pesco Board and Pesco administration should be invited to a joint meeting of National Assembly and Senate members from KPK so that a comprehensive joint strategy is evolved to resolve issues.
The name of a top official of Peso from Dera Ismail Khan - constituency of Maulana Fazlur Rehman - also came under discussion. The meeting was told that the concerned official is allegedly corrupt and powerful. He has never been posted outside D.I. Khan and Banu. Besides others, Junaid Akbar MNA, Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub and Maula Gohar Shah attended the meeting.
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