Lahore High Court on Wednesday dismissed 675 petitions, challenging imposition of equalisation surcharge on electricity bills.
The court directed authorities to collect the surcharge arrears in 12 installments from the petitioners, who were earlier given a stay order against collection.
Justice Shujaat Ali Khan announced the decision on petitions filed by several industrial and domestic consumers. The court had reserved the verdict after hearing arguments on September 26.
Earlier, the petitioners’ counsel had said that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had imposed an equalisation surcharge of Rs81 per KWh in electricity bills. They said that the NEPRA could determine electricity prices, but it did not have the authority to impose a surcharge. Additional Attorney General Naseer Bhutta told court that the federal government was empowered to impose the surcharge.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 6th, 2014.
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