The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) has recommended to the federal government to impose one paisa per unit surcharge on hydel power generation, official sources told Business Recorder . The authority forwarded a summary to the Ministry of Water and Power at a time when it is facing severe shortage of financial resources.
"The Irsa has no funds for fuel of its vehicles to be used for visiting dams and barrages," sources quoted the authority as saying in its summary. According to sources, the authority hopes that if the government imposes one paisa per unit cess on hydel generation and transfers the amount to the authority, it might be able to run its financial affairs smoothly. The authority is awaiting response from the Ministry of Water and Power, which is bound to send such proposals to the Prime Minister Secretariat prior to taking any decision.