400 free units for mosques on issuing Fatwas against power theft

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Tuesday approved the proposal of its sub-committee and referred it to the Senate for approval that recommends 400 units/month free electricity to mosques whose prayer leaders issue Fatwa against the power theft and sensitise the public regarding its repercussion on daily life as per the Sharia.

It is worth mentioning that a few months back, a sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Power, headed by Senator Nauman Wazir, was formed to study the issue of power theft and give its proposals to the committee. In June 2018, this panel had given 20 proposals to the government for curbing the menace of power theft, of which, taking the help of religion and issuance of Islamic decrees [Fatwas] by prayer leaders was at the top.

On August 10, 2018, this sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Power again recommended the ministry to garner the support of religious scholars and get a Fatwa against electricity theft and its repercussion on daily life as per Sharia. Now, the Senate Standing Committee of Power that met here with the Senator Fida Muhammad in the chair on Tuesday was again tabled the proposal.

The committee approved this proposal and referred it to the Upper House of the Parliament [Senate] for approval. It is worth mentioning that the rampant electricity theft in Pakistan’s power sector has been inflicting billions of rupees losses on the national kitty every year, which also is instrumental for ballooning power sector circular debt that is currently standing at more than a trillion rupees.

Officials of the power sector also told a strange thing to a parliamentary panel that in Pakistan, there is a power generation company which accumulates losses of half-a-billion-rupee a year if the government runs it, while it racks up Rs100 million losses if you keep it closed and that is Lakhra Coal Power Plant (Genco-IV). This disclosure was made by the Lakhra Coal Power Plant (GENCO-IV) that has accumulated total losses of Rs11.8 billion and is lying closed for the last six months. During the six-month period, it racked up Rs494 million more losses and is adding, officials of the power sector disclosed to the parliamentary panel.

The Senate Standing committee on Power, when heard these startling facts, formed a sub-committee comprising Senator Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani and Senator Mushahidullah Khan to look into the plant’s affairs and submit the report to the committee. As earlier, the officials had given wrong information to the committee regarding the plant, so the parliamentary panel referred the issue of Genco-IV officials’ telling a lie to the Senate’s privileged committee.

The plant is closed for the last six months and during this period it racked up Rs494 million losses. This figure also include Rs185 million employees’ salaries, Rs105 million pensions of retired employees and Rs136 million as depreciation costs. The plant has 350 employees. For being loss making, the board of directors (BoD) of the company decided to keep it closed.

Senator Maula Bux Chandio said that since the losses increase despite keeping the plant closed and also making hundreds of people unemployed, so for resolving the issue, it must be thoroughly investigated and also indentify the responsible for it. He said that a mafia is active to make the plant closed.

Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that in Pakistan, the imported oil-based projects have been given more importance while for the development of the domestic oil and coal has not been given importance. The committee when asked that what was the efficiency of the plant, Chief Engineer Lakhra power plant said that its efficiency is 25pc. He further said that the efficiency based on which Nepra had given it the tariff has not been achieved.

CEO of the Guddu Thermal Power Station (Genco-II) requested the committee to ask the Sindh irrigation department to provide it water during off season. The irrigation department said that the administration of the plant despite their promise did not provide financial resources. The CEO of the plant negated the claim of Sindh and said that no promise has been made. The officials of the Sindh Irrigation department said that in 1985, a deal was been reached with Wapda under which Genco was liable to provide 64pc and Irrigation department with 36pc. It was later reviewed in 2013 and the expenses were decided at fifty-fifty basis. The Sindh government has paid 50 percent share while the Genco has not paid it so far.

Committee expressed serious concern on its affairs and the Genco officials’ earlier wrong information regarding the Guddu plant and termed it an effort to detract the committee of the facts. The committee decided to send this issue also to the Senate privilege committee.