Shabaz Sharif
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ISLAMABAD: Water and Power Minister Abid Sher Ali unveiled on Monday a list of upcoming power projects to be inaugurated by the premier, a day ahead of his launching of two coal-based power plants at Port Qasim in Karachi. The two projects have a collective capacity of 1,320 megawatt (MW).
While addressing a press conference on Monday, Sher Ali said consumers were facing an average of 2 to 10 hours of load-shedding daily, with the exception of those areas where line losses and power theft was on the rise. “Pay your bills if you want to get electricity,” he said.
The minister reiterated the PML-N government’s promise that Pakistan will be self-sufficient in the power sector within three years. The premier has taken notice of load-shedding and ordered measures to reduce it, he said.
According to him, power outages had increased due to a cut in the water supply by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa). “Irsa reduced water releases from the Kabul River, resulting in a drop in the power supply from 600 to 700 megawatts,” Sher Ali said, adding that total power generation stands at 11000MW whereas the shortfall is 3000MW.
He added that power plants planned at Port Qasim will generate cheaper power through coal. He announced that the PM will lay the foundation for 6,660 MW power plants in Gadani, two power plants with 660MW generation capacity each at Jamshoro, 4300 MW Dasu hydropower project Terbela-5 extension project and 1100MW Kohala hydropower project in K-P in August and November. Sher Ali also maintained that work on mining of Thar coal had been expedited and the PM will inaugurate two mining projects in Thar this year. “The previous governments have been involved in kickbacks and therefore progress on power projects had been zero for the last eleven years,” he said, pointing to the completion of the Guddu and Uch-2 hydropower projects during the present government’s tenure.
The ministry of water and power had asked power distribution companies to ensure 90 to 100 per cent recovery of power bills by June’s end, he added. “We will file a case against area officers involved in power theft,” he said, adding that the government is powerless before a ‘corrupt mafia’ of such officials who received stay orders from the courts whenever they were sacked. “We will move to Supreme Court, seeking help in this matter,” he said.
He said that the total receivables against defaulters were over Rs500 billion. “Sindh has to pay Rs56 billion, Balochistan Rs80 billion, the federal government Rs1.95 billion, AJK Rs37 billion, K-P Rs1.2 billion and Punjab owes Rs3.4 billion,” he said, adding that major receivables were against consumers of Hesco, Pesco, Sepco and Qesco.
Abid Sher Ali said that 32,000 tube-wells were operating in Balochistan which were receiving subsidized power; of these, 16,000 tube-wells are illegal, the minister claimed.
He said the AJK government is receiving power supply at a rate of Rs2.59 per unit but it was selling it to consumers at Rs12 per unit. A committee has been formed to take up this issue. He also said the government will review the policy of providing free power supply to Wapda employees. While replying to a question regarding outstanding dues against the Sharif family’s Ittefaq Group, he said that the group was shut down due to a family dispute and the matter is pending in court.
Pointing to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief’s recent statements of electoral fraud, Ali said votes were cast in the presence of polling agents of Imran Khan. “I challenge Imran Khan to recount votes from my constituency,” he said. “A privilege motion has been moved in parliament against me and I have never said that Sindhi, Pakhtun, Baloch or Punjabi voters were involved in power theft.”
Water and Power Secretary SaifullahChattha said that private consumers, with the exception of those in Balochistan, owed Rs25 billion to power companies. He said the government provided subsidised power to Balochistan at Rs4,000 per tube-well after the 2002-03 drought, which was later enhanced to Rs6,000.The subsidy was to be shared by the provincial and federal governments but no amount has been paid for the last three years, he said.
While addressing a press conference on Monday, Sher Ali said consumers were facing an average of 2 to 10 hours of load-shedding daily, with the exception of those areas where line losses and power theft was on the rise. “Pay your bills if you want to get electricity,” he said.
The minister reiterated the PML-N government’s promise that Pakistan will be self-sufficient in the power sector within three years. The premier has taken notice of load-shedding and ordered measures to reduce it, he said.
According to him, power outages had increased due to a cut in the water supply by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa). “Irsa reduced water releases from the Kabul River, resulting in a drop in the power supply from 600 to 700 megawatts,” Sher Ali said, adding that total power generation stands at 11000MW whereas the shortfall is 3000MW.
He added that power plants planned at Port Qasim will generate cheaper power through coal. He announced that the PM will lay the foundation for 6,660 MW power plants in Gadani, two power plants with 660MW generation capacity each at Jamshoro, 4300 MW Dasu hydropower project Terbela-5 extension project and 1100MW Kohala hydropower project in K-P in August and November. Sher Ali also maintained that work on mining of Thar coal had been expedited and the PM will inaugurate two mining projects in Thar this year. “The previous governments have been involved in kickbacks and therefore progress on power projects had been zero for the last eleven years,” he said, pointing to the completion of the Guddu and Uch-2 hydropower projects during the present government’s tenure.
The ministry of water and power had asked power distribution companies to ensure 90 to 100 per cent recovery of power bills by June’s end, he added. “We will file a case against area officers involved in power theft,” he said, adding that the government is powerless before a ‘corrupt mafia’ of such officials who received stay orders from the courts whenever they were sacked. “We will move to Supreme Court, seeking help in this matter,” he said.
He said that the total receivables against defaulters were over Rs500 billion. “Sindh has to pay Rs56 billion, Balochistan Rs80 billion, the federal government Rs1.95 billion, AJK Rs37 billion, K-P Rs1.2 billion and Punjab owes Rs3.4 billion,” he said, adding that major receivables were against consumers of Hesco, Pesco, Sepco and Qesco.
Abid Sher Ali said that 32,000 tube-wells were operating in Balochistan which were receiving subsidized power; of these, 16,000 tube-wells are illegal, the minister claimed.
He said the AJK government is receiving power supply at a rate of Rs2.59 per unit but it was selling it to consumers at Rs12 per unit. A committee has been formed to take up this issue. He also said the government will review the policy of providing free power supply to Wapda employees. While replying to a question regarding outstanding dues against the Sharif family’s Ittefaq Group, he said that the group was shut down due to a family dispute and the matter is pending in court.
Pointing to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief’s recent statements of electoral fraud, Ali said votes were cast in the presence of polling agents of Imran Khan. “I challenge Imran Khan to recount votes from my constituency,” he said. “A privilege motion has been moved in parliament against me and I have never said that Sindhi, Pakhtun, Baloch or Punjabi voters were involved in power theft.”
Water and Power Secretary SaifullahChattha said that private consumers, with the exception of those in Balochistan, owed Rs25 billion to power companies. He said the government provided subsidised power to Balochistan at Rs4,000 per tube-well after the 2002-03 drought, which was later enhanced to Rs6,000.The subsidy was to be shared by the provincial and federal governments but no amount has been paid for the last three years, he said.
