SC tells govt to review electricity price hike

Apex court gives two days to submit reply; govt says it is ready to review new tariff notification.


Web Desk October 02, 2013
Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif says govt is ready to review notification issued on Sept 30. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday directed the government to review the recent price hike in electricity tariff and submit a reply regarding it in two days, Express News reported.

The apex court issued the directive today while hearing a case related the increase in power tariff.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry stated that “the general public should not be punished for the wrongdoings of the people who steal electricity."

“Strict investigation should be done against the people involved in power theft,” he further added.

Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif said that the government is ready to review the notification issued on September 30.

New prices

The SC had questioned the government’s new energy policy a day after a near 30 per cent increase in power tariffs and 4.2 per cent hike in fuel prices were announced.

The court, while hearing a case on load-shedding on October 1, sought the copies of two separate notifications announcing increase in electricity prices. If the notifications were issued unlawfully, we will pass an interim order, the chief justice said.

The first notification was issued by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on August 5 and the other by the government on September 30. The chief justice observed that the government apparently has no right to regulate petroleum prices.

“[Increasing oil prices] is the exclusive domain of the regulators who have nothing to do with the government policy,” Justice Jawwad observed.

"This needs to be examined as the tariff should not be increased in such a manner," Chief Justice Chaudhry also said.

COMMENTS (11)

sultan ahmed | 10 years ago | Reply

Coming into power, people had a expectation to meet with relief, what they received? more power crisis and price hike, everything of daily use going up breaking all the limits, life has becom a Icon of deprivation. I am a pakistani, it is my life.

sultan ahmed. | 10 years ago | Reply

popular will thought,people in the field struggling for power corridor are credible and overcome the esclating power crisis,but failed absolutely failed

Now people are seeing back the rulers like Musharraf, president in uniform.

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