ISLAMABAD: Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati Thursday held the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), power companies, gas companies and inflation responsible for ‘destruction’ of the country.
He expressed these views at a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Power, which met with Senator Fida Muhammad in the chair.
The committee raised questions over the recruitment process of linemen and meter readers in Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco). The committee also discussed problems of people of Mansehra in getting electricity connections.
Senator Azam Swati said that people in Mansehra are facing problems in electricity connections, adding that an overseas Pakistani was denied connection despite several efforts.
“FBR, power companies, generation companies and dearness (inflation) are responsible for devastation of the country,” said the annoyed Minister.
He further stated that people of Mansehra are fed up with Executive Engineer (XEN) Pesco, demanding that he be made OSD and inquiry be initiated against him.
Chairman Standing Committee informed the members that the under-fire XEN was previously stationed in Haripur from where Minister for Power Omar Ayub got him transferred to Mansehra.
Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak argued that if the XEN was at fault, an inquiry should have been conducted against him, instead of transferring him to Mansehra.
However, CEO, Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) expressed his ignorance about the behavior of the under criticism XEN.
“I have no such information about the XEN,” he added. However, Senator, Dilawar Khan asked why CEO was not aware of the behaviour of the XEN when the issue was on the agenda of the committee meeting.
Pesco CEO apprised the committee that details of new electricity connections in Mansehra from June onward were being sought.
After discussion, the committee gave two weeks time to XEN for electricity connection to the concerned citizen.
Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that Pesco is facing shortage of staff but the recent recruitments were not transparent adding that recruitments in Pesco were done through third party, suggesting it is better to undertake recruitments afresh.
Additional Secretary Power Division, said that non transparency in recruitment in Pesco was shameful.
“Was Pesco’s Human Resource Department was sleeping when recruitment process was in progress,” he questioned.
Senate Standing Committee also took on Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Karachi Electric (KE), Moonis Alvi, for continuously getting electricity from national grid without any agreement.
Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that electricity rates in Karachi were far less compared to other parts of the country, adding that now the government has brought KE’s tariff at par with Discos. He demanded that the government should recover Rs 80 billion from KE against cheap electricity during this period.
Chairman Standing Committee questioned as to why there is no agreement between the federal government and KE? CEO KE responded that agreement will soon be signed, adding that federal government wants to supply more electricity to KE.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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