ISLAMABAD:Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Power Saifullah Abro on Tuesday directed the power division to terminate Ali Zain Banatwala as Deputy Managing Directer National Transmission and Depatch Company (NTDC) and recover all dues paid to him.
The committee which met with Saifullah Abro in the Chair discussed current status on the implementation of recommendations given by the Senate body and other issues.
Senator Fida Muhammad raised the matter of illegal appointment of Ali Zain Banatwala as Deputy Managing Director (SO), NTDC. He told the Committee that the prior to recent appointment, Ali Zain Banatwala was serving as Consultant in NTDC and currently receiving over Rs 1.8 million salary per month. Age criteria was relaxed to appointment him, he added..
Meanwhile, the Committee also took stern notice of recent increase in fee of Members of Board of Directors (BoDs) from Rs. 35000 to 60,000. Saifullah Abro recommended the power division to revert the fee and recover all the amount from the members paid to them in the last few months.
The Chairman Committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of Federal Minister for Energy and Secretary, Power Division and decided to summoned Secretary, Power Division in the next Committee meeting.
While deliberating the implementation status on the issue of power load shedding and low voltage in Samarbagh and Jandool of Dir District, Additional Secretary Power Division, Arshad Majid Momand apprised the committee that the load shedding in aforementioned areas has been reduced to 4 hours and 2 hours respectively and construction of 132 KV Grid Station Munda would be completed by August. The grid station would address low voltage issue in the area, he further said.
Furthermore, the Chairman Committee sought details of official visits taken by KE CEO and other officials in last one year. He also demanded an update status of renewal of agreement between the Government of Pakistan and K-Electric.
He maintained that K-Electric was not purely a private entity as the government still owned 24 per cent share in it and therefore the Committee has right to probe the matter.
Moreover, the Chairman Committee also showed displeasure over the non-implementation of recommendations of the Committee and directed Power Division to implement them within two weeks’ time.
The meeting was attended by Senators Fida Muhammad, Shibli Faraz, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Sana Jamali, Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Bahramand Khan Tangi, Additional Secretary Power Division Arshad Majid Momand, Chairman NEPRA Tauseef H. Farooqi, and all concerned CEOs of DISCOs.