Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has urged NEPRA authorities to reduce power tariff, announce a comprehensive package for poor consumers, stop issuance of detection bills and bound the power distribution companies (DISCOs) not to disconnect power connections of entire area for non-payment by few consumers.
He was talking to NEPRA delegation, led by its chairman Tauseef Hussain on Wednesday. Other delegation members included Member Sindh Rafique Shaikh, Member Baluchistan Rahmatullah Baluch and Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bahadur Shah.
The Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was assisted by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh and PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro. The chief minister that the NEPRA has further enhanced the tariff by Rs1.53 against fuel adjustment.
“The power tariff is already unaffordable for poor consumers and further increase into it would not only put additional burden on the consumers but force them to resort to power stealing,” he said. He added that the power theft issue could be controlled by rationalizing power tariff.
The chairman agreed with the chief minister that the tariff should be affordable and said the fresh increase of Rs1.53 in the tariff was only for one month.
Another issue the chief minister raised was issuance of detection bills by the HESCO and SEPCO. “We have seen people begging to pay detection bills,” he said and added this injustice was only in Sindh.
The chairman NEPRA assured the chief minister that he would personally resolve the issue. He nominated Member NEPRA Sindh Rafique Shaikh to present him a detailed report on the issue. Murad Ali Shah also took up the issue of ever-increasing load shedding in the province.
“The increasing load-shedding some time causes law and order situation, therefore necessary measures must be taken to control the load shedding,” he said and added the summer was approaching, therefore load-shedding controlling measures should be taken much in time.Shah said that the KE and other DSCOs, HESCO and SEPCO disconnect power supply of the low-billing areas.
“This policy turns out to be a punishment for the consumers who pay their bills in time and this must be stopped,” he said. The chairman assured the chief minister that he has already directed the DISCOs to stop the policy.
