ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday took serious notice of excessive power billing, which included the amount of line losses and theft. Reacting over the members demand, PAC Chairman and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif established a sub-committee under Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to look into the matter and respond to the main committee as soon as possible. Members of the PAC were of the view that excessive power bills were sent to general consumers, who were unable to clear the bills. The matter was raised when the Power Division secretary gave presentation to the PAC on overall power situations in the country. Every member of the committee raised a lot of questions with a view that they all suffered heavily due to wrong polices of the government. The PTI and PPP members of the committee criticized establishment of a coal power plant in Sahiwal during the meeting. Former PPP prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf questioned the rationale of setting up a coal power plant in an agriculture area like Sahiwal. The energy secretary informed the committee that an extremely sophisticated environment-friendly technology had been used for the plant. The secretary claimed that the plant wouldn’t harm the ecology of the area. The Power Division secretary informed the committee that seven power projects of 3,340 megawatt had been completed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project. He told the committee that thirteen projects of 7,240 megawatt under the CPEC were in the execution phase. The secretary said the circular debt in power sector had crossed Rs 755 billion. The PAC was informed that the government had decided to eliminate corruption in power distribution companies and in this regard the secretary said an action had already been taken and several officers were suspended. The secretary also informed the committee that the government would remove transmission constraints in three phases, which would be complete by end of 2019. About tariff proposals, the PAC was informed that there would be no increase in tariff for domestic consumers using up to 300 units. Shehbaz Sharif announced another sub-committee to be presided over by Senator Shibli Faraz, who will check competitive bidding for renewable energy. Published in Daily Times, January 2nd 2019