Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The provincial energy department and Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) have reached an understanding to jointly make efforts for improving the current outmoded electricity system by removing all bottlenecks. They noted that load shedding and sale and purchase of electricity were among hurdles which impeded efforts to improve the overall power system of the province. They also decided to extend the wheeling model to sell electricity to industrial sectors on cheaper rates. These issues were discussed in a meeting which was chaired by Energy Adviser Himayatullah Khan with Pesco officials to discuss various issues including electricity transmission system and resolve issues pertaining to payment of electricity dues.
The meeting decided that all stakeholders should be taken into confidence prior to reaching an agreement for selling power produced from Golan Gole power station in Chitral or launching any power project in any part of the province. The meeting was attended by Secretary Energy Muhammad ZubairKhan, Chief Executive Engineer Jabbar Khan, Chief Executive Pedo Eng.
Naeem, Additional Secretary Power Zafarul Islam, Chief Engineer Pesco Habib Khan and other relevant officials of power sector.
Pesco Chief Engineer Jabbar Khan in a briefing during meeting said that there were several issues including illegal use of electricity, shortage of field staff, old transmission system, overloaded transformers, non-payment of dues and load shedding. He said the recovery drive got affected due to Covid-19 and added that there was zero load shedding on feeders where consumers paid bills regularly.
The energy adviser said that the rate of power pilferage was relatively lesser than those of other provinces of the country. The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to sale electricity agreements of the Pedo completed power houses including Machi, Koto.
