Senate body applauds Power Division for taking swift action against line losses, electricity theft

Meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Power Thursday applauded the Power Division for taking swift action against the line losses and electricity theft in different DISCOs.

The meeting held here at Old PIPS Hall Parliament Lodges with Senator Saifullah Abro in the chair.

Additional Secretary, Power Division, Arshad Majid apprised that approximately around Rs one billion worth of recovery had been made in the last few days and the Power Division had also reshuffled the officers of various DISCOs to ensure its efficiency.

Saifullah Abro said that the Power Division should also reshuffled CEOs of DISCO's and BoDs of various authority, who allegedly had acted malafide and diminishing the capacity of power sector.

The senate body expressed annoyance over the non-implementation of the committee's recommendations relating to 765kV double circuit transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad.

The Additional Secretary, Power Division informed the ministry had constituted a committee to investigate the matter and the report wold be submitted once it was completed.

Saifullah Abro reiterated that the committee had explicitly identified irregularities in bidding process for the 'Construction of 765KV double Circuit Transmission line from Dasu Hydro Power Station to Islamabad' but irony was that, despite making recommendations several times to take action against the alleged officials, Power Division had not taken any action.

He further said that formation of committee was prerogative of NTDC, and the letter written by the Power Division to World Bank for identifying procurement mismanagement in bidding process held no legal standing.

Moreover, the committee expressed displeasure over the absence of the Chairman, NEPRA and its Members and decided to issue summon for Chairman NEPRA and all its Members to attend next meeting.

While discussing the details of CPEC power plants, the power division informed that sixteen power plants were part of the CPEC, with most of them being wind and solar based projects.

The committee inquired about the government stance on KAPCO Power Plant, whose contract expired in June 2021 with IPPs.

Senator Saifullah Abro asked for clarification on how many years the gas and RFO had been provided to KAPCO Power Plant.

However, the power division failed to provide a response, he added.

He recommended that the Power Division investigated allegations of illegal extension for KAPCO Power Plant.

Furthermore, the chairman committee lamented the power division for shutdown of the Muzaffargarh and Jamshoro power plants and for not supplying them with sufficient gas.

Saifullah Abro remarked that one's could not apprehend how the Power Division planed to strive by shutting down public power plants.

The meeting was attended by attended by Senator Fida Muhammad, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Sana Jamali, Senator Haji Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, Additional Secretary, Power Division Arshad Majid and others senior officers of relevant departments.