ISLAMABAD: The federal government has blamed the provincial administrations for non-cooperation with the power sector in registering FIR against people involved in power theft that has been a soaring concern of the government, and a major contributor to the circular debt.

Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan, during a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Power, presided over by Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Monday, stated that the "police administration does not register FIR against the people involved (beneficiaries and facilitators) of power theft".

The minister suggested Shazia Marri, who wanted that two sides (officials of the DISCOs and the consumers) deserve equal punishment for power theft, to ask the provincial government to investigate to file FIR if HESCO and SEPCO's any employee was involved in facilitating power theft.

Although the meeting deferred the approval of "the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019" seeking to authorise a grade-17 and above officer to take cognizance of an offence, the minister described non-cooperation by the provincial administration in acting against the people involved in power theft as challenge.

Police should register FIR against the big people with the same efficiency as it has been doing against the poor, he said, and added that the Power Division had taken action against many people but they obtained stay order.

"It is more appropriate that police should arrest and investigate the influential and the poor with the same benchmark," added the minister. Ayub said that Power Division was a major vehicle of subsidy transmission, and informed the meeting, previous government provided 50 percent unbudgeted subsidies, whose cost was as well as front loaded tariff was adding in the circular debt.

The minister said that in future when the agreement, which was in final touches with the IPPs would be finalised, the government would make the payment of the electricity, it would be buying from them and there would be no capacity payment charges.

There would be saving of Rs147 billion in the next three years from de-linking 60 percent LNG supply from the power sector. The Power Division also informed the meeting that the government had decided to absorb power sector circular debt 850 billion parked in PHPL in the debt, and the ECC had given approval of shifting Rs73 billion.

Omar Ayub said that the ministry had been doing its best to control theft of electricity in far-flung areas in a systematic manner and in that regard; anti-theft drive was going on for the past two years.

The committee, however, did not approve law that wants power of collecting surcharge by distribution companies from the consumers, and asked the Power Division to brief the next meeting of the committee that "when the surcharge would be imposed and on what and where the money collected on this account would be utilised". Ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, committee member, Saifur Rehman stormed out in protest against KE, while deploring that the committee, despite being requested by him to call the senior officials of KE to explain about over billing, deaths of the people in a very little rain due to electric current, the meeting did not call them. So, I have decided to walk out of the committee as there was no point to enjoy with TA/DA, when he was unable to raise issues of the people of Karachi in the committee meeting, he told media persons outside, while leaving the meeting.

Chairman of the committee assured him that KE officials would ask to appear in the next meeting of the committee and explain about all these issues. A statement issued by the committee secretariat stated that the meeting deferred the "The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (No. XXV of 2019)" seeking to authorise a grade-17 and above officer to take cognizance of an offence.

A statement on another bill, "The regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill, 2020," the Committee showed reservations on the procedure of tariff determination, and the NEPRA was asked to give in writing the procedure.

The minister told the Committee that unbudgeted subsidies in the circular debt was the major concern of the present government, and this needed to be addressed through uniform tariff and to give power of collecting surcharge to distribution companies from the consumers as the federal government might charge and notify in the official gazette from time to time. The above said bill was also deferred for the next scheduled meeting, and the ministry was asked to address the queries of members, the statement ended.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020