- State minister says India, Pakistan discussing design issues in Kishanganga, Ratle, Miyar, Lower Kainai, Pakal Dui hydro power projects
- Power minister says audit for determining cause of excessive power billing is underway, and officials found responsible will be penalised, extra amount refunded to consumers, POL prices to be lowered next month
The national exchequer has suffered losses of Rs 113 billion due to delays in completion of Nandipur Power Project (NPP), the National Assembly (NA) was told Wednesday.
Answering a question, State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said the NPP was not a failure but was progressing successfully towards its completion.
“As per findings of the Judicial Commission, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs113 billion due to delay in completion of NPP,” he said.
The state minister also said that presently Pakistan and India are holding discussions at the Indus Commission level to resolve design issues and other differences over five hydro-electric projects on western rivers, including Kishanganga, Ratle, Miyar, Lower Kainai and Pakal Dui.
“Kalabagh dam has become controversial and cannot be undertaken until consensus is evolved,” he said.
Ali told the House that 147 million acre feet of water passes through Pakistan but the country can store only 14.5 million acre feet of the water whereas the remaining flows into the sea due to lack of storage.
ELECTRICITY OVER-BILLING:
Ali also informed the House that over-billing in electricity bills is being corrected while disciplinary action is being taken against those found responsible for wrong meter readings. He added that an automatic reading system has also been started as a pilot project in selected sub-divisions.
Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that commercial audit of electricity over-billing by top private audit firms is expected to be completed during the next few days, after which the exact cause of excessive bills would be determined.
He said that apart from the possibility of ‘fudging’, extra consumption of power by consumers during the one-month long load shedding-free period and abolition of slabs for consumers also led to increase in power bills.
“In case of wrong billing, the extra amount will be refunded and officials responsible would be penalised,” he said.
He said that the government would ensure zero power load-shedding for two days in areas with significant Hindu population in light of Diwali celebrations.
FIRING AT LOC, WORKING BOUNDARY:
The House also discussed the situation arising out of recent ceasefire violations by Indian Forces along the Indo-Pak border.
Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said, “If the West supports human rights causes elsewhere in the world, then it should also do so in the case of Kashmiris.”
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Nafisa Shah also said that India was carrying “water terrorism”.
NA Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Chairperson Marvi Memon said the government and armed forces were effectively responding to Indian provocations on the Line of Control and Working Boundary.
RELIEF IN POL PRICES NEXT MONTH:
State Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal Khan informed the Senate that in the coming month, the government would lower petroleum prices.
Responding to a call-attention notice raised by Ilyas Ahmad Bilour regarding non-transfer of benefits of decrease in prices of petroleum products in the global market, the minister said that the international market witnessed continuous decline in crude oil prices and currently average price was calculated at USD83 per barrel.
He said that instant relief could not be given as average prices were calculated on monthly basis. Bilour demanded that the government reduce the prices by Rs10 per litre.
The Senate was also informed that Pakistan is one of the top three countries to have made the largest drug seizures.
State Minister for Interior Balighur Rehman said that 200 people were arrested at various airports in the country last year for smuggling narcotics.
The federal government has imposed a ban on issuance of arms licenses in order to contain illegal arms, he said, adding that the verification and computerisation of issued armed licenses was underway by National Database and Registration Authority.
Replying to a question, the state minister said that over 107,000 people were issued blue passports over the past five years, including those who were not entitled.