Citizens should not pay for line losses: CM

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah says it is injustice to switch off entire feeder if few consumers don't pay bills

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a Cabinet meeting, on Friday called on the federal government to stop power distribution companies from penalising citizens under the pretext of line losses.

The cabinet was held at CM House on Friday. It was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, the Chief Secretary, the Chairman P&D and other concerned officers.

Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) proposed an amendment in SPSC (Recruitment Management) Regulations, 2023 regarding the maintenance of a waiting list to fill in the vacancies arising as a result of non-joining of various recommended candidates during the recruitment process.The amendment was proposed in Regulation No.148 to enable the Commission to maintain a waiting list of next-in-line successful candidates to be further recommended to the department concerned if some posts remain unfilled during the same recruitment process. The cabinet was told that a similar provision already exists in the Federal Public Service Commission. The cabinet approved the appointment.

SHO gets financial powers

The Sindh cabinet approved Rs69.2 million for 485 police stations in the province, including Rs33.8 million for 78 police stations of the Karachi division. The other divisions have 407 police stations and their budget would be Rs35.4 million.

The cabinet also approved an amendment in the Sindh Police Financial Powers Rules 2019 under which a Station House Officer (SHO), of grade BPS-16, has been given Drawing & Disbursing Officer (DDO) power and authorised to draw Rs200,000 per month. The CM termed the move to strengthen police at the grassroots level an effective delivery service.

Load Management: The Sindh government has called for reforms in load management laws to address ongoing load shedding and inefficiencies in distribution companies (DISCOs). The CM approved the recommendations and directed the Sindh Energy Department to send them to Power Division, Ministry of Energy.

CM said that it was an injustice that the DISCOs switch off the entire feeder if a few people are not paying their bills and even to meet the line or technical losses the customers are penalised which was unconstitutional.