ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water and Power, Ahmad Mukhtar acknowledged on Monday that the current deplorable state of power sector is because of poor governance and looters. Talking to Business Recorder he said that all resources will be utilised to improve power generation especially during Ramazan.
When asked if he agreed with the assessment of Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh, reiterated during the recent cabinet meeting, that power sector woes are due to poor governance and not insufficient funds, Ahmed Mukhtar responded in the affirmative. "Yes power sector has been destroyed due to mis-governance by looters," he added. In reply to a question, Ahmad Mukhtar ruled out any possibility of further continuation of an extremely influential Managing Director, Pakistan Electric Power Company/National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), Rasool Khan Mehsood.
When Business Recorder pointed out to the Minister that MD, NTDC has still not relinquished his office despite the fact that he (Mukhtar) suspended him immediately after taking charge of the Water and Power Ministry, he replied that Mehsood has to go. "Either Mahsud will stay or me, one has to go. If he continues, someone will replace me. He has played his innings, he will go in a day or two," he added.
The minister did not deny that Mehsood's source of power is Salman Farooqi, President's Principal Secretary, but added that a couple of days ago Farooqi came to his residence and sought his opinion on the appointment of a new MD, NTDC. In reply to a question, Mukhtar said that 1350 MW additional power will be injected into the national grid after furnace oil reaches generating plants. "There is no shortage of fuel, the main issue is availability of Railway bogies and oil tankers to transport furnace oil from Karachi to power plants," he added.
On Saturday, a high level meeting on energy presided over by the Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf directed the Petroleum Ministry to supply 28,000 tons of furnace oil daily to Gencos to add 1,200 MW to the national grid. Answering another question, the minister said that load shedding duration in Lahore is 9 hours, Faisalabad 4-12 hours, Gujranwala 11 hours, Hyderabad 8 hours and Multan 8 hours.
The minister said that former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, claimed that load shedding duration was only 4 hours during his premiership in his constituency but as he left the PM House load shedding increased by hundred per cent ie 8 hours a day. The minister stated that load shedding duration is decided by the NTDC and not the minister.
Meanwhile, four Independent Power Producers (IPPs) ie Saif Power Limited, Halmore Power Limited, Saphire Power and Orient Power have added 400 MW to the system. "We are generating up to whatever amount they give us daily for fuel. It varies every day from Rs 20 million to Rs 50 million," said one of the IPPs.
Replying to a question, Mukhtar said the process is under way to replace Secretary Water and Power Imtiaz Kazi. "Secretary will be replaced. Three or four names for new secretary are under consideration," he said, adding that the name of Taimur Azmat Osman is also under consideration.
Answering another question, the minister said that Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has agreed to withdraw 700 MW offtake from the national grid, if federal government supplies additional gas. However, official statement issued after the high level meeting on energy sector noted that the meeting discussed 100 mmcfd additional supply of gas to KESC to produce 300 mw which could help KESC reduce its offtake from the national grid of equal quantity of power making it available to improve supply of electricity. A committee comprising minister for finance, minister for religious affairs and prime minister's advisor on petroleum Dr Asim Hussain will hold talks with of Sindh Governor D Ishrat ul Ibad and the Chief Minister to hold talks with stakeholders for reduction of gas supply.