Islamabad:
The Standing Committee of the National Assembly was informed on Wednesday that the government was preparing a rescue package for electricity consumers affected by floods, who would be announced in a day or two.
The panel, chaired by Muhammad Idrees, met to discuss the prolonged load shedding of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) and measures to provide concessions to electricity users affected by floods.
The PPP legislator, Syed Hussain Tariq, who had traveled from Hyderabad, raised strong objections on the performance of Hesco. He complained that the public service had used load shedding even in areas with a recovery of 90%.
“Nowhere in the world, the rain causes electrocities, but in Hyderabad, people die due to dangerous infrastructure,” he said, adding that 152 feeders have remained closed for three days in recent breakdowns.
The secretary to power Fakhre Alam Irfan said that load shedding was carried out on the basis of power losses.
Tariq asked who was responsible for the death of three people who died of the electrocution during the rains and ten deaths in 2022 due to an oil fire of transformer. “I am not here to defend or accuse anyone, but to repair the system. There is no justification for four-day power outages,” he said.
The secretary to power acknowledged that Hesco’s annual losses had reached 60 billion rupees last year, largely due to bad recovery and governance problems
He said unlike the distribution companies of Multan and Lahore, where the recovery was 100%close, Hesco continued to fight. “We have asked the nightclubs not to penalize honest consumers with the same treatment as the thieves of power,” he told the Committee.
Hesco officials informed legislators that the public service would now move the loading of management of mangers based on processors. “Only the transformers where the flight occurs facing breakdowns,” they said.
The committee member, Nausheen Iftikhar, has raised concerns about swollen invoices. “How can a daily salary worker pay an invoice of 30,000 rupees in one time? There must be a solution for payments,” she suggested.
The Committee also addressed the question of the relief of consumers affected by floods.
The secretary in power said that the government was in contact with the IMF and the Ministry of Finance to finalize a special power rescue ensemble for the victims affected by the floods.
“A rescue package for the victims of the floods will be announced in a day or two,” he said, adding that the electricity division has remained close to coordination with the Prime Minister’s office.
The secretary argued that the electricity prices would not increase before June 2026, adding that the electricity sector had supported people compared to last year. “Protected consumers using up to 200 units receive an invoice from 6,000 to 7,000 rupees.”
He also said that Hesco and Sepco were not privatized but would be moved to a concession model after improving performance. “In the first phase, three discos will be privatized,” he noted.
Tariq pressed Hesco management on unexpected power cuts. “NEPRA and the energy division authorize only seven to eight hours of planned breakdowns. Why is the unexpected load loading carried out?” He asked, warning that the false statements in front of the Parliament could lead to privilege requests.
