- Nawaz directs accurate figures over estimated power supply, demand
- All provinces to be included in decision-making on power-related issues
Ministry of Water & Power on Tuesday once again failed to satisfy Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif over its failure to carry out minimum power load-shedding in the country during the Islamic month of Ramazan.
Chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy, the prime minister directed the authorities concerned for the calculation of accurate figures for estimated power demand and expected supply from existing as well as under implementation plants over the next 12 to 36 months.
To follow up on urgent measures being carried out to reduce load shedding, he also directed for re-verification of the amounts of circular debt from third party auditors so as to ascertain claims attributed to fuel payments, line losses and other factors.
He emphasised o the inclusion of provincial representatives in decision making on important issues related to the power sector. The Water and Power secretary briefed the meeting that detailed working had been undertaken on the utilisation of all installed capacity.
However, the secretary could not satisfy the prime minister regarding improvement in the energy situation and initiation of six to eight hours load-shedding in rural and urban areas besides no power cut in Sehr and Iftar timings.
On anonymity, officials at the Power Ministry said that the latest demand of electricity has reached at 24,557 megawatts while total electricity generation with various sources remained at around 16,000 megawatts. So the country is facing a shortfall of over eight thousand megawatts mainly due to increase in the electricity demand.
Also, the power system has so far failed to manage the growing demand of electricity as main lines have tripped in Sindh, Balochistan and other parts of the country, it said. The outdated transmission system is so weak and not able to transmit full electricity to users.
On Monday, Prime Minister Nawaz was found perturbed over the initiation of unannounced power load-shedding with the start of the holy Islamic month despite his instructions to carry out minimum outages during Ramazan.
Expressing serious displeasure over the load-shedding schedule currently being followed, he directed the authorities that proactive and solution-oriented approach should be adopted by all departments with the aim to provide maximum relief in summer season.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Water & Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, State Minister for Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other senior officials.
