Sindh to receive four dormant gas fields
Government to develop fields through public-private partnership.
KARACHI:
The Sindh government will get possession of four dormant gas fields – two in Thatta and one each in Sanghar and Ghotki – from the federal government, according to Sindh Minister for Power Shazia Marri.
Speaking to the media after attending a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting in Islamabad, she said that due to a lack of finances, the Sindh government has decided to develop these gas fields through public-private partnership.
The provincial government has also requested the federal government for representation in the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) board of directors to ensure better services to the consumers of the province and protection of their rights.
“Sindh does not have a single member in the KESC board as compared to three members of the federal government,” she said.
She added that representatives of other three provinces supported her suggestion to bring amendments in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) rules and a proposal regarding increase in penalty charges on electricity supplying private companies from Rs0.3 million to Rs100 million. It was also proposed that the amount recovered through penalties be sent to the Provincial Consolidated Fund to provide benefits to people.
Marri further disclosed that the Electric Inspectorate – working under the Sindh Power Department – is also being revamped and re-organised to ensure justice to electricity consumers with regard to complaints of excessive billing, as any system of this sort is currently not present.
She urged the media to inform people of the option of filing complaints with electric inspectors located in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.
The Sindh government will get possession of four dormant gas fields – two in Thatta and one each in Sanghar and Ghotki – from the federal government, according to Sindh Minister for Power Shazia Marri.
Speaking to the media after attending a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting in Islamabad, she said that due to a lack of finances, the Sindh government has decided to develop these gas fields through public-private partnership.
The provincial government has also requested the federal government for representation in the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) board of directors to ensure better services to the consumers of the province and protection of their rights.
“Sindh does not have a single member in the KESC board as compared to three members of the federal government,” she said.
She added that representatives of other three provinces supported her suggestion to bring amendments in the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) rules and a proposal regarding increase in penalty charges on electricity supplying private companies from Rs0.3 million to Rs100 million. It was also proposed that the amount recovered through penalties be sent to the Provincial Consolidated Fund to provide benefits to people.
Marri further disclosed that the Electric Inspectorate – working under the Sindh Power Department – is also being revamped and re-organised to ensure justice to electricity consumers with regard to complaints of excessive billing, as any system of this sort is currently not present.
She urged the media to inform people of the option of filing complaints with electric inspectors located in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2011.