WEDNESDAY APRIL 10: Rs 20 billion approved by Prime Minister to address power shortages

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Water and Power is unlikely to control power crisis even if it is provided the required funds by the Finance Ministry during election months with loadshedding at present escalating in cities to 10-12 hours per day whereas rural areas are facing loadshedding upto 18 hours.
The sources said Water and Power Ministry has sought Rs 40 billion immediately from the Finance Ministry to deal with the "alarming" power situation and argued that without the funds the power sector will collapse.
"Finance Ministry has sought details of the basis of Rs 40 billion subsidy demanded by the Water and Power Ministry," the sources continued. An official statement issued by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company reveals a shortfall of 3,000 MW on Tuesday with generation at 9200 MW and demand at 12200 MW. The share of Hydel was 3070 MW, Gencos 1480 MW and IPPs 4650 MW. NTDC also supplied 620 MW to KESC.
The sources revealed that two power stations with a combined output of 150 MW, ie, Habib Ullah Coastal and Sheikhmanda (Quetta) are shut down due to non availability of gas, however, 530 MW Uch Power Plant and 700 MW AES Lalpire and AES PakGen are back in the system.
Prime Minister Khoso presided over a high level meeting and directed the Ministry of Water and Power to take immediate measures to improve power situation and use all available resources to ensure power generation is optimized so as to minimise load shedding in the country.
"The meeting decided to inject Rs 20 billion in the power system immediately and steps would be taken to recover amounts from KESC, FBR and consumers through NAB," said an official. The Additional Secretary, Ministry of Water & Power Arshad Mirza informed the Prime Minister that the immediate cause of increase in load shedding was disruption of gas supply to Uch Power Plant due to sabotage. The Prime Minister directed that all necessary measures should be taken to ensure the power installations, transmission lines and power installations are fully secured throughout the country.
"No installation should be left unattended and a security plan should be submitted spelling out detailed arrangements for their protection", the Prime Minister stated. The Prime Minister was informed that loadshedding in urban areas was 10-12 hours whereas in the rural and far-flung areas it has been extended from 16 to 18 hours.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over the present situation and directed that there be a visible improvement in the situation which is possible through improved management and resource mobilisation. The Prime Minister observed that though the prime responsibility of his government was to hold general elections in the country it was also its duty to provide relief to people and ensure that basic necessities such as electricity are available to them.
The Prime Minister was informed that power situation which had reached its nadir two days back is now improving which he termed as encouraging. The Prime Minister has directed the Ministries of Water and Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources, Interior and Finance to firm up short term and medium term plans with a view to minimising load shedding in the country so that routine life is least affected.
The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power to ensure the implementation of the plan worked out by the government and assure that uninterrupted fuel is provided to thermal power plants. The Plan should be implemented in a manner which ensures minimum load shedding and there should be no unannounced load shedding, he added. The meeting also decided that gas and power installations should be protected through local police and local population. The meeting was attended by senior officials of Prime Minister's Secretariat, Ministries of Finance, Petroleum & Natural Resources and Water & Power.