RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) came under criticism on the issue of over-billing to the electricity consumers and the parliamentarians sated that the regulator’s role remains ineffective in power sector.

A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat presided over by Rana Muhammad Hayat on Monday directed the NEPRA to establish sub-offices at district level in the next three months with the purpose to effectively address the complaints of electricity consumers regarding over-billing against power distribution companies.

The chairman of the committee stated that a consumer of Rs 10,000 receives Rs 700,000 bill and regulator was oblivious of ongoing over-billing spree in the sector. The committee also questioned from the officials of NEPRA about peak hours and normal hours electricity rates in Karachi and also of total number of consumers in the country.

The committee also asked the government to revisit NEPRA law to empower it to effectively play its role as regulator.

The meeting also directed NEPRA to take cognizance of over-billing and issuance of detection bills on agricultural and domestic consumers. The committee wanted NEPRA to strengthen its complaint resolution mechanism and investigate over-billing issue in respect of an instance pointed out by the member of the committee in LESCO region and regulator was asked to provide details of average differential of K-Electric tariff for the last twelve months.

On the agenda of Capital Development Authority, the committee decided to call the mayor of Islamabad in its next meeting to discuss the measures being taken on sewerage disposal and waste management.

The meeting also decided to take a briefing on commercial restructuring plan of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and outsourcing of services at all airports in the next meeting of the committee. The secretary aviation was directed to apprise the committee of the outcome of the investigation carried out into incidents of smuggling of heroine through PIA aircraft.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Parveen Masood Bhatti, Shahnaz Saleem, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, Pir Shafqat Hussain Shah Jilani, Asad Umar, Nafeesa Inayatullah Khan Khattak, Moulvi Agha Muhammad, and Syed Ali Raza Abidi, secretaries of CADD, Cabinet and Establishment Divisions and representatives of the concerned departments.