National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, while taking notice of media reports and public complaints against the K-Electric, on Thursday ordered an inquiry against the power utility for flouting of the agreement with the government of Pakistan.
He directed the NAB Karachi to investigate reasons for unscheduled load-shedding, overbilling and violation of agreement. The agreement bound the K Electric to invest in modernising the electricity generation and transmission system but it had failed to honour the agreement.
The chairman directed the NAB Karachi to obtain the copies of agreement, relevant documents and details of the volume of investments promised in the agreement and complete the inquiry within three months so that those responsible could be tried.
The chairman said: “NAB is a national institution which believes in working as per law. NAB will never allow K-Electric to fleece billion of rupees from the consumers through overbilling, resorting to unscheduled load-shedding and blatant violation of the agreement. NAB believes in accountability sans any discrimination.”
Govt defers decision to increase power tariff for K-Electric
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday deferred the decision to increase the power tariff for K-Electric by Rs2.79 per unit on the opposition of the federal ministers.
The premier directed the authorities concerned to supply electricity to Karachi from the national grid until the resolution of K-Electric issues.
The prime minister was briefed on the agreement between the government and K-Electric and power crisis in Karachi as he chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy.
The meeting also mulled over the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC’s) decision to increase the price of energy for K-Electric consumers.
Federal ministers Asad Umar and Aminul Haq opposed the idea of increasing the power tariff after which the premier deferred his decision in this regard.
The premier was informed that the federal government had offered an additional supply of electricity through the national grid, however, the K-Electric system could afford more than 720 megawatts.
He was further told that the K-Electric had been provided 4,500 tonnes of furnace oil and an additional 500 tonnes had been offered.
Deliberating on the matter to fix the gas price, the meeting was told that local gas production was insufficient to meet the needs of people which forced the government to import the commodity.
The meeting was apprised that only 27% of the country's population was being supplied piped gas at low cost, while the rest was using the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and paying a far higher price.
The prime minister instructed for a comprehensive strategy to provide relief to a major chunk of the population and emphasised for a durable solution to the issue through consultation.
Federal ministers Shibli Faraz, Pervaiz Khattak, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Aminul Haq, Asad Umar, Omar Ayub Khan and Mohammadmian Soomro, while advisers Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Dr Ishrat Hussain, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, and specials assistants Dr Shahbaz Gill, Nadeem Babar and Shahzad Qasim attended the meeting.
With additional input from APP
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