The Lahore High Court yesterday sought reply from National Electric Power and Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) by October 21 in a petition challenging collection of Rs 11 billion from the electricity consumers. The court also allowed the six power generating companies to become party in the case. Judicial Activism Penal had filed the petition through Azhar Siddique and pointed out that the federal government and NEPRA had collected Rs 11 billion under the head of 'Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC).
The petitioner submitted that the NEPRA had to collect this amount from the power generating and distribution companies but it had charged from the general public. More than 50 percent taxes were being charged from the consumers, illegally he added.