Country's electricity shortfall on Tuesday touched historic high of 9065 MW as demand reached 21,868 MW against allocated quota of 12,803 MW to Discos due to which people were facing 12-18 hour load shedding in urban and rural areas, well informed sources told Business Recorder. At least six Discos drew more electricity than their quota as National Power Control Centre (NPCC) does not have the mechanism to curb an overdraw.
This shortfall does not cover jurisdiction of K-Electric which has also failed to ensure reliable supply under the guise of technical issues. K-Electric drew 609 MW from the national grid against allocated quota of 650 MW. Power sector receivables have crossed Rs 500 billion ( precisely Rs 513 billion) of which private sector owes Rs 345.386 billion whereas receivables against public sector stood at 168 billion during the first ten months (July-April) 2013-14.
According to sources, eight Secretaries of Water and Power Ministry have been changed during the last three years, which is one of the key reasons for the worsening situation of power sector. The newly-appointed Secretary Water and Power Nargis Sethi, who has been given a free hand by the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, is said to be merely focusing on administrative and recovery issues but not on generation which is aggravating with every passing day due to a rise in the mercury.
Official documents reveal that receivables against federal government stood at Rs 8.804 billion at the end of April 2014, of which federal government departments owe Rs 1.253 billion, local bodies under federal government Rs 2.849 billion, autonomous bodies under federal government Rs 1.512 billion, defence Rs 1.6 billion and Water and Power, Rs 1.590 billion. Receivables against AJ&K government stood at Rs 36.693 billion of which share of GoP is 0.402 billion and Discos -0.004 billion.
Amounts of receivables against Punjab stood at Rs 6.619 billion, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Rs 20.540 billion which also includes Rs 18.6 billion assessed for KPK consumers for the period September 5, 2008 to September 15, 2010 on account of differential of tariff after the withdrawal of KPK petition from PHC. The assessed amount has not been passed on to consumers. The payment of receivables has been linked to Net Hydel Profit (NHP) arrears payable to KPK as proposed by the provincial government.
Sindh government has to pay Rs 54.547 billion whereas Balochistan owes Rs 5.550 billion. Receivables against Balochistan also include a re-debited amount of Rs 1.975 billion which was written off in July 2012, excluding GST. The GST was paid by Qesco by KPK. The total amount of receivables on account of agricultural tube wells in Balochistan stood at Rs 10.837 billion, of which the share of GoP is Rs 5.337 billion and of GoB Rs 5.5 billion. K-Electric is to pay Rs 35.204 billion of which the company has already paid Rs 6 billion to Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA).
The sources said Council of Common Interests (CCI) in its meeting last month presided over by the Prime Minister had decided to deduct 25 per cent current power sector bills against federal and provincial governments from July 2014. Disputed outstanding amounts against public sector will be reconciled by a team of Ministries of Finance, Water and Power, NTDC and public sector later.
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