ISLAMABAD:The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Friday was informed that a sum of Rs 52 billion has been recovered from the defaulters and power pilferers during the anti-power theft and recovery drive since September.
The committee which met with Azam Nazir Tarar in the chair was further told that 63000 cases have also been registered against the power pilferers so far. Outstanding dues against the provincial governments stood at Rs 113 billion, it was further told.
Briefing the senate panel, the Power Division told that the incumbent government was fully supporting the companies to recover electricity dues from the defaulters adding that the recovery stood at 90 per cent.
The Committee appreciated the caretaker government’s efforts to curb the menace of power theft across the country.
Caretaker Minister for Power Muhammad Ali told the committee that a strategy for bringing improvement in the power sector would have to be devised in light of agreements already signed in the past. Agreements signed in
the past were signed to pay in dollar, he said.
He went on to say that our textile industries have received 20-30 per cent additional orders which was a good omen. However, he said that we have to reduce power cost besides reducing capacity payment charges.
The minister said that there was also a dire need to focus on transmission lines adding that all out efforts were being made to reduce stock of circular debt.
He said the demand for electricity would also surge with reducing its cost. He also stressed the need for focusing on management in the power distribution companies besides the inclusion of power experts from the private sector.
Responding to the query of Azam Nasir, the committee was told that Lahore, Peshawar and Hyderabad Electric Supply Companies recovered record outstanding dues from the defaulters while Quetta Electric Supply Company had Rs 522 billion outstanding dues against agri tube wells and the provincial government.
The committee was also told that as many as 102 development project
s were being carried out in the power sector. Out of the total, 66 were ongoing projects while 36 were new schemes. The country’s total installed capacity stood at around 45,000 megawatts with 28 per cent share of hydel, 16 per cent coal, 11 per cent gas, 17 per cent RLNG and 19 per cent nuclear.
The meeting was attended by Senators Fida Muhammad, Dilawar Khan, Behramand Tangi, Saifullah Sawar, Zeeshan Khandzada, Sana Jamali, Haji Hadayatullah and senior officials of the ministry and its concerned departments.