NA body hits out at NEPRA chief for making ‘threatening call’
Provinces’ reservations about energy bill addressed, new draft prepared
PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy accused on Thursday the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) head of making a threatening call and pledged that he would move a privilege motion in parliament for disqualification of the regulator.
“Nepra chairman will be the first person to be disqualified from the public office through a privilege motion,” NA Standing Committee Chairman Bilal Virk said, suggesting that authorities should investigate the matter.
NEPRA imposes Rs9m fine on two power companies
The issue came up for discussion during a meeting of the energy committee. It also discussed matters pertaining to The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2017 and the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB). MNA Shehryar Afridi alleged that Nepra Chairman Tariq Sadozia had also sent threatening messages to him.
Virk vowed that he was going to take the Nepra chairman to task. “Today, I intentionally did not call him for the meeting, but will call him to the next huddle,” he added.
Afridi said Sadozai had told provinces that he had raised their concerns about the Nepra bill, but claimed that their MNAs were not supporting him.
APBF flays NEPRA for hike in power tariff
Power Division officials informed the committee that reservations of the provinces about the energy bill had been addressed and a new draft had been prepared. Provinces didn’t show any concern about tariff and surcharges. The committee deferred discussion on the bill until its next meeting in view of the clarification sought by its members from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on certain clauses.
The committee also asked the Power Division to discuss issues with the committee members concerned for clarification before the next meeting on October 10. It also recommended changing the name of PPIB to the Pakistan Power Infrastructure Board in view of the mandate assigned to the PPIB to process specified public sector and renewal energy projects sanctioned by the federal government
While reconsidering the energy bill, the committee agreed with suggestion of the Power Division and incorporated a clause into the PPIB (Amendment) Bill 2017 through which the nomenclature of PPIB would be changed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2017.
Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy accused on Thursday the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) head of making a threatening call and pledged that he would move a privilege motion in parliament for disqualification of the regulator.
“Nepra chairman will be the first person to be disqualified from the public office through a privilege motion,” NA Standing Committee Chairman Bilal Virk said, suggesting that authorities should investigate the matter.
NEPRA imposes Rs9m fine on two power companies
The issue came up for discussion during a meeting of the energy committee. It also discussed matters pertaining to The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2017 and the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB). MNA Shehryar Afridi alleged that Nepra Chairman Tariq Sadozia had also sent threatening messages to him.
Virk vowed that he was going to take the Nepra chairman to task. “Today, I intentionally did not call him for the meeting, but will call him to the next huddle,” he added.
Afridi said Sadozai had told provinces that he had raised their concerns about the Nepra bill, but claimed that their MNAs were not supporting him.
APBF flays NEPRA for hike in power tariff
Power Division officials informed the committee that reservations of the provinces about the energy bill had been addressed and a new draft had been prepared. Provinces didn’t show any concern about tariff and surcharges. The committee deferred discussion on the bill until its next meeting in view of the clarification sought by its members from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on certain clauses.
The committee also asked the Power Division to discuss issues with the committee members concerned for clarification before the next meeting on October 10. It also recommended changing the name of PPIB to the Pakistan Power Infrastructure Board in view of the mandate assigned to the PPIB to process specified public sector and renewal energy projects sanctioned by the federal government
While reconsidering the energy bill, the committee agreed with suggestion of the Power Division and incorporated a clause into the PPIB (Amendment) Bill 2017 through which the nomenclature of PPIB would be changed.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2017.