Zubair Qureshi
Islamabad
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Power held at Parliament House expressed concerns over complaints regarding removal of domestic metres from small farmers’ houses by the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO).
The committee was briefed regarding alleged removal of domestic meters of small farmers for running mono motors on single phase domestic connections by GEPCO.
Further discussion on Points of Public Importance regarding provision of electricity to Chromite mining area of Muslim Bagh, district Qilla Saifullah, Balochistan raised by Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar and Transparency in the recruitment process of Meter Readers resumed.
The Report of the Senate Standing Committee on Power on a Point of Public Importance regarding ‘Exact figure of Circular Debt” raised by Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak was adopted.
Convened by Senator Fida Muhammad, the meeting was attended by Senator Moula Bux Chandio, Senator Siraj ul Haq, Senator Usman Khan Kakar, Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan, Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Senator Muhammad Akram, Senator Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and senior officers from the Power Division alongwith all concerned. Minister for Energy Power Division, Mr. Omar Ayub Khan was also present.
The meeting commenced with a detailed discussion on the alleged removal of domestic meters of small farmers for running mono motors on single phase domestic meters for irrigation of their fields, the Committee was informed that running mono motors on single phase domestic connections was illegal and for that purpose the consumers needed to apply for three phase agricultural tubewell connections. The Committee was further informed that applying for Agricultural connections would benefit the consumers immensely since tariff is subsidized.
