Judicial intervention: ‘Load shedding should not exceed eight hours a day’

CJ wonders why there is 18 hours of load shedding with 33 per cent shortfall.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court chief justice on Monday directed the Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) to reduce power load shedding to eight hours a day.

The CJ passed this order after the lawyer for the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said Lesco was being supplied 1,600 MW electricity against a demand of 2,400 MW per day.

On hearing this, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked why there was 18 hours of load shedding in a day despite Lesco getting 66 per cent of its demand.

Ministry of Water and Power Joint Secretary Zargham Shah told the court that some power distribution companies (Discos) managed to consume more than their allocation.

The CJ directed the ministry’s official to take action against electricity thieves without fear. Justice Bandial said the practice amounted to electricity theft. He said controlling theft was the job of the Discos. He said electricity thieves were getting electricity at the cost of bona fide consumers.

The joint secretary told the court that production of 1,200 MW had been halted due to terrorist attacks on gas pipelines and grid stations in Balochistan. He said other plants were closed due to the unavailability of gas.

The CJ asked how the previous government had managed an uninterrupted electricity supply. The secretary replied the previous government had been using diesel because of non-availability of gas to the IPPs.

Wapda’s counsel Khwaja Tariq Rahim said recovery of bills was very low in FATA and Quetta. He said strong decisions were required to improve the recovery of bills in these areas.

The CJ adjourned further hearing till April 29 and directed the respondents to submit a detailed report about actions taken against electricity theft and also ordered the Lesco to maintain load shedding at eight hours per day.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2013.