- Power Division secretary says public companies, including SSGC and NTDC, owe Rs125bn to K-Electric
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Power Division was informed on Tuesday that “liabilities” were causing impediments in the privatization of K-Electric to Shanghai Electric Power.
Briefing the Senate panel, which met with Senator Fida Muhammad in the chair, Power Division Secretary Irfan Ali said that public departments and companies, including Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and the National Transmission and Despatch Company, owed Rs125 billion to KE.
He said that a mechanism should be evolved to sort out the KE liabilities issue. He suggested the appointment of a retired judge of the Supreme Court for arbitration in this regard.
The committee was apprised that as many as 333 connections were provided to Afghans refugee camps in the country and the outstanding amount against the camps stood at Rs247 million.
Peshawar Electric Supply Company Chief Dr Amjad Khan told the committee that single and three phase connections were provided to the camps, which have now been disbanded. “The existing camps are regularly paying their bills,” he added.
Regarding an inquiry into the recovery of 600/650 stolen transformers of PESCO by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the committee was informed that the transformers were stored in different places due to the shortage of storage spaces.
The Power Division secretary stated that transformers should be placed only in specified areas. He also assured the committee that the PEPCO team would conduct an inquiry in this regard.
He said the power distribution companies would not collect any amount for the repair of transformers while the damaged transformers would be replaced immediately.
The committee said that the consumers were not being provided with wire and pipes during the installation of new connections. It recommended that charges under these heads should be stopped.
The meeting was also attended by Senators Muhammad Akram, Mushahidullah Khan, Moula Bux Chandio, Shahmim Afridi, Nauman Wazir Khattak as well as the senior officials of the Ministry of Power Division.
