ISLAMABAD: The Senate panel on power has decided to forward the issue of alleged illegal appointments of chief financial officer (CFO) and others at Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
As per details, a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Power held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Senator Saifullah Abro to take up various matters including the removal of HESCO CEO Rehan Hamid.
Forwarding the case to FIA and NAB, chairman Senate panel commented that the Power Division has been not doing its due job.
Additional secretary Power informed the Senate panel that the HESCO chief had attended a political gathering although the laws do not permit the CEO to attend any such gathering whereas the Power Division was not aware of the participation of the other officials of HESCO.
The chairman Senate Standing Committee on Power asked the Power Division to share reasons behind the chief’s removal and also tell why the same action was not taken against officials of the company who had attended the gathering where the HESCO chief was present.
“Was the HESCO board not taken into confidence over the removal of the company’s chief?” Senator Saif Ullah Abro asked, adding that it was strange that the board had appointed a chief and the Power Division, without conducting an inquiry against the former chief, had removed him.
He further added that there was a video which he could present to prove that other officials of HESCO were in attendance.
Responding to the chairman, additional secretary Power Division said that he felt that Senator Saif Ullah Abro was not in favour of the removal of the former HESCO to which Abro replied that he has no interest in any one and only wants to take action according to the law.
Senator Saif Ullah Niazi opined that the same action should be taken against the officials of HESCO.
Speaking on the occasion, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) Chairman Rafique Ahmed Shaikh said that the authority had granted licenses for cheap power plants. However, these plants could not be installed because they could not fulfill the government’s policy of renewable energy.
He said that NEPRA has closed expansive thermal power plants as it was not in favour of putting the burden of expansive power plants on the masses. Similarly, licenses of thermal power plants close to expiry were also cancelled.
Raising his voice against non-utilisation of efficient power plants for power generation, te NEPRA chairman said that efficient power plants are not being run on full capacity due to certain reasons, including a shortage of LNG.
He said that the extensive use of LNG is not being made in long-term power plans.
Speaking on the occasion, Senator Abro further held NEPRA responsible for capacity payments to power plants and asked the authority’s chairman to present a positive update in this regard during the next meeting.
Responding to queries of the panel, the NEPRA chairman said that a new clause of ‘take and pay’ was introduced in the agreements.
He said that NEPRA has granted licenses for cheap electricity generation and that it was up to the authority to grant licenses and determine the tariff. “So far, approximately 347,000 electricity connections are pending while we are facing a loss of Rs2.9 billion due to not issuing new connections,” he added.
Moreover, additional secretary Power Division said that an improvement in the governance of DISCOs was not possible without introducing new technology in the sector.
He said that the Energy Ministry has developed a plan for bringing transparency in the affairs of DISCOs.
