ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to end free electricity facility for the officers of the electricity companies and the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) scheduled to meet today (Tuesday-10th October 2023) is set to take up a summary of Power Division in this regard.
CCoE to be chaired by the minister for power & petroleum will take up a single agenda item titled as “Monetization of Free Electricity Units Admissible to Employees of WAPDA and XWAPDA Company (DISCOs), power generation companies (GENCOs), National Transmission and Despacth Company (NTDC) and Power Information Technology Company (PITC)”.
According to sources, if the CCoE grants its approval to end the free electricity units admissible to the officers of WAPDA, DISCOs, GENCOs, NTDC and PITC then all the in-service employees in grade 17 and above shall pay the electricity bills issued by the respective DISCO against the reference numbers already available with the DISCOs. They said that Power Division, in its summary for CCoE, has recommended to stop providing monthly free units to Grade 17 to Grade 21 officers. And abolishing the facility of free units will save more than Rs 6 billion annually, said sources.
Sharing details of proposed end to monthly free units to Grade 17 to Grade 21 officers of WAPDA, DISCOs, GENCOs, NTDC and PITC, the sources informed that a grade 17 officer of the non-generation (Electricity) companies is currently getting 450 free units each month. However, it is recommended to give Rs 15,858 per month instead of providing 450 units a month. Similarly, it is recommended to give Rs 21,996/month to a grade 18 officer instead of supply 600 units/month. Likewise, it is recommended to give Rs 37,594/month instead of providing 880 units a month to an officer of grade 19. Furthermore, it is recommended to give Rs 46,992/month to a grade 20 officer instead of supplying 1100 units/month and Rs 55,536/month to grade 21 officers instead of supplying them 1300 free units each month.
As per sources, it is also recommended to give Rs 24,570 per month to grade 17 officers attached with generation companies (GENCOs) instead of supplying them 650 free units/month. They said that instead of giving 700 units to grade 18 officers of GENCOs, it is recommended to give them Rs 26,460/month. They said it is also recommended to give Rs 42,720/month to grade 19 officers instead of supply them free 1000 units while Rs 46,992/month to grade 20 officers of GENCOs instead of supplying them 1100 units/month. Instead of supplying 1300 free units to grade 21 officers of GENCOs, it is recommended to give them Rs 55,536/month, said sources.
WAPDA employees were not included initially in the proposal. However, they have been added now in the light of discussion held in a meeting at Prime Minister’s Office dated 27th August 2023 duly attended by Chairman, sources added.
It is also learnt from sources that WAPDA employees were enjoying free electricity facility since 1974 and some of them allegedly used to sell the free electricity facility to earn money. They said that supply of free electricity to officers of grade 16 will continue while free units left over each month are rolled over to subsequent months. They said the monetization rate for officers will remain fixed at the July 2023 tariff. The Finance Ministry has so far opposed both free units and monetization, said sources.
