Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Members of a legislative body on Thursday expressed their displeasure over absence of Chairman NEPRA in the meeting and decided to issue summon for the Chairman and all its members to attend next meeting for discussion over inflated power bills.
This is public importance matter and it should be discussed properly, said Senator Saifullah Abro, who was presiding over a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Power, which was held today at Old PIPS Hall Parliament Lodges.
The enate Committee applauded the Power Division for taking the swift action against the line losses and electricity theft in different DISCO’s. Additional Secretary, Power Division, Arshad Majid apprised that approximately around 1 Billion rupees worth of recovery has been made in the last few days and the Power Division has also reshuffled the officers of various DISCO’s to ensure its efficiency.
The Chairman Committee Senator Saifullah Abro stated that the Power Division should also reshuffled CEO’s of DISCO’s and BoDs of various authority, who allegedly have acted malafide and diminishing the capacity of power sector.
The Senate body expressed annoyance over the non-implementation of Committee recommendations relating to 765kV double circuit transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad. The Additional Secretary, Power Division informed that ministry has constituted a Committee to investigate the matter and the report will be submitted once it is completed.
Senator Saifullah Abro reiterated that the committee has explicitly identified irregularities in bidding process for the ‘Construction of 765KV double Circuit Transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad’ but irony is that, despite making recommendations several times to take action against the alleged officials, Power Division has not taken any action.
He further stated that formation of Committee is prerogative of NTDC, and the letter written by the Power Division to World Bank for identifying procurement mismanagement in bidding process holds no legal standing.
While discussing the details of CPEC power plants, Power division informed that sixteen power plants are part of the CPEC, with most of them being wind and solar based projects.
The Committee inquired about the government stance on KAPCO Power Plant, whose contract expired in June 2021 with IPP’s. Senator Saifullah Abro asked for clarification on how many years the gas and RFO has been provided to KAPCO Power Plant.
However, the Power Division failed to provide a response. He recommended that the Power Division investigate allegations of illegal extension for KAPCO Power Plant. Furthermore, Chairman Committee lamented the Power Division for shutdown of the Muzaffargarh and Jamshoro power plants and for not supplying them with sufficient gas. Senator Saifullah Abro remarked that one’s could not apprehend how the Power Division plans to strive by shutting down public power plants.
The meeting was attended by attended by Senator Fida Muhammad, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Sana Jamali, Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, Additional Secretary, Power Division Arshad Majid and others senior officers of relevant departments were also in attendance.
