The much trumpeted National Energy Conference, held recently in Lahore, with the Prime Minister presiding over and the Chief Ministers of all provinces and the Federal Ministers concerned among others participating.
Contrary to all high expectations of the people that the moot will come up with immediate measures to rid them of lingering intolerable electricity load hedding from the country, it turned out to be yet another case in which the rulers have failed us, to say the least.
The only “welcome” decision of the moot was that electricity loadshedding henceforth be equitable for all the provinces and there was no indication, assurance or promise whatsoever even at the highest level of the Prime Minister as to when the menace of electricity loadshedding, which has already made life of the people quite miserable and pitiable, would be eliminated from this country of ours.
This is not all. According to reports appearing the media, a formula to end the electricity loadshedding presented by PML(Q) Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed on behalf of his party President Ch Shujat Hussain was just laughed out without being given even a little consideration.
Outright rejection of a rather feasible and practical formula, under which the provinces were required to part with some percentage of their share under the NFC Award for a short period so that the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) could be made fully functional after paying their dues, was just deplorable and reflected sadly on the rulers’ indifferent attitude towards solving the people’s problems and give them relief from their prolonged sufferings.
The moot was also expected to consider for sometime fuel saving measures as well in order to minimise the mounting oil import bill. Even otherwise, electricity and fuel are inter-related and dependent on each other for boosting power generation.
These fuel saving measures, as being lately mentioned in these columns of newspapers, could include usage of such equipments of gadgets to begin with in the vehicles of the federal and provincial governments which could help in saving fuel consumption up to a maximum of 25 percent. Such gadgets or equipments, based on innovative Japanese technology and tested internationally quite successfully, are available in the local market and when used in a vehicle help in giving a fuel saving of up to 25 percent besides being environment friendly, no compromise on mileage and improved engine performance.
The fuel saving of up to 25 per cent is what the foreign manufacturers and local importers and suppliers of this gadget or equipment are claiming. The fuel saving may be somewhat less in the ratio of 15 to 20 percent. But still there would be lot of fuel saving and reduced burden on oil import if put to use in huge fleet of vehicles of the federal and provincial governments.
If spending some millions more on procurement of this fuel saving gadget could result in fuel saving of billions of rupees over a period of few months, then this is certainly worth trying.
ASIM MUNIR
Rawalpindi
