PPPP slams no power relief for flood-hit areas

The Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Friday criticised the Power Division for not giving the rice mills of the flood-affected districts in Sindh and Balochistan the much-needed waiver on electricity bills.

During the Question Hour session of the 51st sitting of the lower house, MNA Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto said that a delegation of rice mills owners from Qambar Shahdadkot met her, requesting help in availing the waiver announced on electricity bills.

She sought details from the parliamentary secretary on any intention of the ministry to waive off the hefty electricity bills sent to the rice mills owners of Sindh.

Khursheed Ahmed Junejo of the PPPP, in his supplementary question, said that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) charged extra taxes on electricity bills of the rice mills of Larkana and Jhal Magsi divisions of Sindh under an the SRO.

The 2022 floods had completely damaged the rice crop and there was no income earned by the rice mills, but the delegation claimed that heavy taxes were charged by Nepra in the bills, he added.

He said that they only demanded waiving their electricity bills.

Aftab Shahban Merani said that Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Kashmore and other areas were producing rice with maximum rice mills, adding that there was no rice crop in the entire division and the mills were shut but they were sent Rs100,000 bills per month.

Merani regretted that the premier had announced the electricity waiver for the rice mills but it was not implemented on the ground. He requested the speaker to refer the matter to the relevant committee.

Subsequently, the speaker moved the matter to the relevant committee.

Parliamentary Secretary for Power Division Rana Iradat Sharif Khan apprised the lower house that the answer to the queries would be elaborated further in the next proceedings. He added that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) levied the taxes on electricity bills, which were regulated through Nepra, whereas the lower house could pass its ruling to end the taxes.

Iradat informed parliament that Rs10 billion subsidy on tariff differential was already being disbursed to the industry in this regard. He also underlined that the members had confused the quarterly adjustments made by Nepra with taxes on electricity in their questions.