The Ministry of Water and Power Thursday said that its real challenge in Sukkur Electric Power Company (Sepco) is mobile reading of the electricity consumed. While briefing a sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water and Power, Omer Rasool, Additional Secretary Water and Power Ministry, said mobile reading in Sepco is alarmingly low and the ministry wanted to raise it to 80 percent.
He said there is 90 percent mobile reading in Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco), highest, followed by 80 percent Faisalabad Electric Supply Company. The meeting chaired by Ghulam Mustafa Shah was briefed by Water and Power Ministry officials on 30 recommendations related to Hesco and Sepco. The meeting was informed that almost in every District (Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Badin, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Matiari, Sanghar, Shaheed Benazirabad, Jamshoro, Thatta, and Sujawal) falling within the territorial jurisdiction of Hesco, Kunda connections exists.
The meeting was further informed that in this regard special campaign lodged and 67 teams were deployed for the task and sub-division wise action against the discrepancies being addressed with the help of law enforcing agencies & lodging complaints before district & session judges under ordinance 2013.
The ministry also claimed that over billing has been stopped, charging of extra units reduced substantially and units sold in the year 2015-16 have been reduced by 280.39MKWH as compared to corresponding period of 2014-15, despite increase in number of consumers by 31,825 for the same period.
Omer Rasool said that the time scale upgradation of engineers is under process and expected to be finalised soon after fulfilment of prerequisites of upgradation after the promotion board recently held on 30-09-2016. He said that the route of 11 kV Dhoronaro feeder has been revisited as proposed by Member National Assembly Nawab Yousuf Talpur and the route is changed now.
He added that rehabilitation of L T system is continuous process and during the financial year 2015-16, 152 proposals amounting of Rs 121.55 million and in the fiscal year 2016-17 (up to September), 95 proposals amounting of Rs 61.73 million have been approved. The meeting was told that during same period ie in year 2015-16, 115 proposals amounting of Rs 85.10 million and in the year 2016-17 (up to August), 21 proposals amounting of Rs 17.70 million, have been completed.