Daily Times

The issue of power load shedding amid the sizzling summer making people’s life miserable countrywide, especially in Karachi, echoed in the National Assembly on Monday. State minister for energy said 5,000MW energy shortfall was caused by three incomplete hydropower projects, which remained unaccomplished due to the National Accountability Bureau’s cases in the previous government’s tenure. The issue of power crisis was highlighted by Qadir Khan Mandokhail and others through a calling attention notice. State Minister Hashim Khan blamed the previous government for the crisis, which, he said, could not complete three major power producing projects. He said Karot hydropower was aimed to produce 720MWs, while only one unit could be completed, producing only 180MWs. He said Thar Coal power project could not be completed within the stipulated time from which 1200MWs was expected. Hashim Khan claimed that if these projects had been completed on time, the duration of load shedding could have been minimized.

“We created some short-term and long-term projects to cope with this issue. Three short-term projects of 50MW each were started which would be completed by December 2022,” he explained adding that for long-term projects installation of solar panels was under consideration in almost each part of country through which power load shedding will be thoroughly controlled by the end of 2024.

Qadir Khan Mandokhail said Karachi was a metropolitan city of the country that was facing heavy load shedding adding that an MoU was signed by the K-Electric that it would produce its own energy but regrettably it was totally dependent on the WAPDA in this regard. Engineer Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani expressed serious concerns over the absence of Minister for Power Khurram Dastagir Khan in the house.

“Since he assumed charge as minister, he has entirely disappeared from the house. We repeatedly tried to meet him to show our concerns to him but in vain,” he regretted.

He highlighted that citizens were facing serious odds as they could not have drinking water in absence of electricity.

Usama Qadri recalled that Karachi once called a “city of lights” had turned into a city of darkness, adding that K-electric was going to add Rs12 to its bills in respect of various forms which would add to the citizens’ odd.

Meanwhile, the house also passed three bills including “The State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Bill, 2021”, “The Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021”, and “The National Highways Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2021.” By Muhammad Faisal Kaleem.