PAC directs power ministry to furnish report about technical losses, theft

Chairman Public Account Committee (PAC) Syed Khursheed Shah Wednesday directed ministry of Energy (Power Division) to submit a comprehensive report about the technical losses of power distribution companies (DISCOs) and thefts throughout the country in a month.

The chairman issued these directives while chairing a meeting of Ministry of Energy (Power Division) to evaluate the performance and way forward to improve the efficiency of DISCOs.

He also directed the ministry to inform the committee about the estimate cost and time duration for the replacement of 66kv grid station with 132kv grid stations throughout the country.

“The performance of the ministry will improve if 66kv grid station installed in 1960 replaced with the 132kv grid stations “he observed.

He also directed for furnishing the comparative report about the ratio of theft in winter and summer.

The chairman PAC expressed his displeasure over the performance of the ministry and noted that the ministry was passing burden of technical losses on the common consumers.

“What is the mistake of the common consumers in technical losses, the ministry is taking billion of rupees from the consumers in the name of technical losses which is totally unjustified”” he said.

He directed the ministry to take concrete steps to decrease the technical losses and theft.

The official of the ministry informed the committee that about 55 billion dollars were required to improve the whole system.

“Our losses will be as per the developed countries if we invest $ 55 billion in improving the system” he added.

He said that presently the ministry had about 26,264,768 domestic, commercial, industrial, tube-well and other connections.

He said that out of total generation about 86.11%, was being used by domestic consumers, 11.20 per cent by commercial , 1.30 per cent by industrial,  1.24 per cent by tube well and 0.06 percent for other purposes.

He said that Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) had 13.8 per cent losses, Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) 1.2 per cent, Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) 10.6 per cent,  Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) 9 per cent, Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO0 16.9 per cent, Tribal Electric Supply Company (TESCO) 15.4 per cent, Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) 30.6 per cent, Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) 37.9 per cent and Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) 23.1 per cent.  He said that over all losses were about 17.9 per cent.

Responding to the queries of the parliamentarians, the official of the ministry said that it was decided that the electricity meter would be installed within 15 days after submitting application.

He said that according to policy of the ministry, defective meter would be replaced within 30 days, otherwise the concern SDO would have to make the payment from his packet.