ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Power has deplored that the continuous absence of the Minister for Power shows that the government appears to have little regard for the upper house of the Parliament.
As soon as the meeting of the committee presided over by Senator Saifullah Abro started on Thursday, members of the committee one after another pointed out that their recommendations are not being given any importance and in this regard cited the issue of first freezing the hiring process started by the previous government and then de-freezing it.
The chairman and some members of the committee stated that this forum was not given a reasonable answer to the question asked by the committee as to why the process of filling vacancies in the power sector was frozen soon after coming to power and then later on starting a fresh process to fill the vacancies. Such things reflect grey areas in the working of the ministry, the members added.
Senate panel questions govt’s ‘seriousness’ about power sector
The chairman of the committee said that he has also written letters to the prime minister but no response was received.
Senator Moula Bux Chandio said that he did not think that the senator’s concern would bring about any change in the attitude of the minister, whereas, another member pointed out that the minister has not turned up before the committee during the last 10 months. The committee members said the committee was not given a briefing with respect to the power breakdown of January 21, 2023.
The committee also deliberated on the matter of unpaid employees of Lakhra and Kotri Power Plant, which was moved in the House by Senator Moula Bux Chandio, of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Chandio said the employees of both the power plants are not being paid their salaries and alleged that the government has deliberately reduced the power output of Kotri Power Plant from 144 MW to 110 MW.
Rashid Mahmood, secretary Power Division, briefed the committee that the government has decided to shut-down the power plants due to high production cost and low-efficiency level. He further stated that seven turbines machines of Kotri Power Plant produce electricity with 31 percent efficiency, whereas, turbine machines of the latest technology can operate at 61 percent efficiency.
However, employees of both the Power Plants were offered the option to employment in same grade in different Discos. However, he said that some of them have moved the court and did not avail the option offered by the government but over 200 have been adjusted, majority in the Discos. The chairman committee decided to hear the grievances of unpaid employees before taking any further action.
Furthermore, the committee discussed the over-billing in four union councils of Turbat, Balochistan mover of the issue Senator Muhammad Akram, informed that residents of the area were dislocated due to backflow water from Mirani Dam in 2007 and consequently, residents are not getting any electricity and yet doomed to receive electricity bills containing huge arrears.
The chairman of the committee directed the QESCO to provide the billing details of residents of affected areas before and after the flood in the next meeting.
While discussing the current status of the internal inquiry committee constituted to probe the causes of the recent massive electricity breakdown in the country, the secretary Power Division informed the committee that the report was presented in the cabinet meeting and he got an unofficial copy which he could share with the committee. The committee decided to discuss the report in the next meeting.
Moreover, the senate body raised the matter of power breakdown in Quetta upon which the Secretary Power Division informed that the state minister has pointed out the matter and it will be resolved shortly.
Additionally, the chairman committee lamented the Power Division for freezing the recruitment process at the interview stage for different positions in GEPCO and advertising the same posts thereafter.
He directed the ministry to provide complete details of the recruitment process conducted for the selection of eligible candidates in the next meeting.
The meeting was attended by senators named Fida Muhammad, Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai, Moula Bux Chandio, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Zeeshan Khanzada, Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Asad Ali Junejo, Sana Jamali, Secretary Power Division Rashid Mahmood, Additional Secretary Power Division Zafar Khan, Chairman NEPRA Tauseef H Farooqi, and concerned officers of relevant departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023