The minister said several steps were being taken, including timely execution of equipment and removal orders against the defaulters. It also includes checking of permanently defaulting consumers’ premises to ensure that defaulters are not using electricity from any other source. PHOTO: ONLINE
Minister of Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated this in the National Assembly recently when Pakistan Peoples Party’s Parliamentary Leader Naveed Qamar asked about the performance of power distribution companies (DISCOs).
The written reply submitted that the number was increasing since 2013-14. According to the reply, the numbers of units lost was 16,325 million kilo watt hours (M.kwh) in 2013-14. The number went up to 16,744 in 2014-15 and was recorded at 16,762 in 2015-16. This brings the total loss to 49,831 M.kwh. Details of 10 DISCOs state that Peshawar recorded the highest loss, followed Lahore Electric Supply Company and Multan Electric Power Company.
However, interestingly, in a reply to NA few weeks earlier, the minister stated that line losses had decreased by one percent compared to 2013-14.
Recovery of outstanding dues
To another question, the minister stated that heavy amounts were outstanding against provincial governments. He said that the provision of administrative support in Sindh and Balochistan can improve recovery position. “Due to the law and order situation in both these provinces huge arrears are stuck up but efforts are being made for recovery of these receivables,” the reply stated.
It further noted that currently an amount of Rs99.6 billion was outstanding against provincial governments of which Rs73 billion was due from Sindh and Rs19 billion from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Similarly, receivables from Azad Jammu and Kashmir were Rs65 billion, Karachi Electric Supply Company Rs46 billion, the reply stated.
Way out
The minister said several steps were being taken, including timely execution of equipment and removal orders against the defaulters. It also includes checking of permanently defaulting consumers’ premises to ensure that defaulters are not using electricity from any other source. Besides, the ministry is following up court cases including the settlement of billing disputes including timely delivery of electricity bills to consumers.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 21st, 2016.
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