Imtiaz laments lack of Sindh’s representation on Nepra, KE boards

Sindh Energy Minister Imitaz Ahmed Shaikh has lamented that the province does not have any representation on the boards of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) and K-Electric (KE).

He said in a statement on Monday that the provincial government continuously asked the power distribution companies to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply in the province in view of public sufferings although the power utilities were under the authority of the federal government.

Shaikh said that the transmission companies were under the authority of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority and Power Division of the federal government. Despite this, he said, the provincial government constantly asks the administration of K-Electric, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, Sukkur Electric Power Company to ensure a smooth power supply in the province in view of public sufferings.

He said that people of the province were facing a great deal of hardship as the province did not have representation on the K- Electric Board and Nepra. He said that regular bill-paying customers could have been saved from frequent power outages with the help of modern technology.

The energy minister said that K-Electric claimed that there were arrears of Rs25billion in various areas of Karachi. He said that the quantum of load-shedding was determined by the National Transmission and Distribution Company, which had its head office in

Lahore.

He added that there were few weeks left for the K-Electric’s contract to expire and demanded from the federal government to consult the provincial government before entering into a new agreement with the power utility as the provincial government was one of the biggest stakeholders.