The Senate Standing Committee on Power Wednesday sought details of capacity payment released to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and employees involved in electricity theft. Presided over by Senator Fida Muhammad, the committee also discussed other issues related to the power sector. Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that the Power Division has not succeeded in reducing electricity theft even by one per cent. He further maintained that the government subsidies, losses, tariff and receivables are the key factors of energy sectors' circular debt.
The officials of Power Division informed the committee that the fruits of current drive against electricity theft will be witnessed after a year. The chairman standing committee inquired as to what measures Power Division took a year ago to end electricity theft, adding ironically if angels would come to stop electricity theft.
The Power Division officials informed the committee that a programme is being launched with the assistance of other organisations to stop electricity theft. Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that smart metering will not stop theft. The additional secretary FATA Secretariat informed the committee that development projects will not be undertaken in FATA if Rs 1,000 billion are not made available under the ten year programme.
A sub-committee headed by Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak presented its report about coal-fired Lakhra Power Plant. The committee, in its report, stated that substandard coal was used in the plant and turbines were overhauled after passage of prescribed time.
Senator Khattak further stated that operationalisation of Lakhra Power Plant is in the national interest as electricity will be available at Rs 4.75 per unit from this plant. The chairman standing committee informed the committee that Safa Gold Mall is selling electricity to shopkeepers at Rs 34 per unit. Nepra official assured the committee that recovery will be made from those malls selling electricity over and above approved tariffs; and it was pointed out to him that 93 shopping malls are selling electricity to shopkeepers at exorbitant rates.
"J category of tariff will be imposed on owners of these shopping malls and in case of violation, their connections will be severed," said Nepra officials.
On the issue of arrears of electricity bills of the members residing in the Parliament Lodges, the committee was told that SDO Islamabad has again taken stock of installed electricity connections in Lodges and he has confirmed that meter reading is being carried out on monthly basis. Meetings were also held in the past in connection with arrears with the officials of Capital Development Authority as the CDA is stakeholder in this regard, adding both the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and CDA both will give their recommendations to the committee in the next meeting.
About the contractual and daily wage employees working in IESCO, the committee was informed that 172 employees have been working since 2014 on contractual basis, adding they had been hired on contractual basis according to the then government policy. The chairman committee said that these employees have been working for long and now they are unable to apply for other jobs due to their ages. On this the secretary energy said that this issue would be resolved soon.
The committee meeting as attended by senators including Aurangzeb, Muhammad Akram, Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Maula Bakhsh Chandio, Dilawar Khan, Nuaman Wazir Khattak, and Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, and senior officials of the Ministry of Energy, NEPRA, GENCO, QESCO, PEPCO and IESCO.
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