Daily Times

Following the announcement of a “relief package” by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday explained that only the households that consume electricity up to 200 units will be exempt from fuel charges adjustment (FCA).

Khurram Dastagir has managed to reach K-Electric head office in Karachi amid the masses’ protest against inflated and overbilling and prolonged power outages.

“We are here to settle down issues with K-Electric,” Dastagir said multiple times while addressing a press conference at K-Electric head office. “I know people are in pain and complaining against loadshedding and overbilling,” he acknowledged.

The power minister said that work is underway to restructure the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). “The authority’s main task is to determine the tariff, which is facing delays,” he said, adding that if the tariffs are announced timely consumers will not pay the surcharge amount.

“Additional amounts paid by the power consumers on account of June’s FCA was because of “Azaab-e-Imrani (the calamity of Imran)”, he claimed, terming PTI chief Imran Khan’s claims regarding excessive power capacity as “incorrect”.

The power minister said that the coalition government is trying its best to provide cheap electricity to the inflation-weary consumers.

Shedding light on future plans, Dastgir said that the coalition government aims to complete the projects of Thar coal, including the power generation project which is in collaboration with Shanghai Electric.

When a journalist asked whether he was going to renegotiate and sign a new agreement on privatisation with the KE, Dastagir did not deny it. He added that the KE privatisation did not happen as per expectations in 2006.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved waving off fuel adjustment charges of only those customers who had used up to 200 units during the month of June. The fuel adjustment was charged through the current month of August billing. “The waver is only for one month.”

He assured that power outages would reduce and fuel adjustment charges would taper off gradually. “Consumers will feel at ease from the month of October,” he further said.

He said that the incumbent government had focused on alternative energy and soon power production would start from Thar coal. “The government is working to ensure the provision of uninterrupted and affordable power supply to the consumers across the country,” he said.

Dastagir said that efforts were also underway to modernise the power distribution companies under the vision of PM Shehbaz. He said that the companies had been asked to ensure the rapid installation of metres, resolution of complaints of consumers and prevention of power thefts on modern lines.

The minister said that Imran Khan continuously lied to the nation that there wasn’t any shortfall of electricity. In fact, he clarified, the power production was much lesser than its demand. He said that the country’s power supply was dependent on outdated plants running on expensive furnace oil.