In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PPP-led Sindh government has warned the federal government of a “massive increase” in socio-political and financial problems if the supply of 650 megawatts to Karachi and parts of rural Sindh and Baluchistan was stopped by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NDTC).
Undersigned by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the letter came in the backdrop of adverse statements coming in recent weeks from, what K-Electric officials said, some ‘unknown’ bureaucrats at the Ministry of Water and Power (MoWP) claiming the city of over 20 million would stop electricity from the national grid after January 25.
According to a KE official, January 25 would mark the expiry of a bilateral agreement between the NTDC and KE on the supply of 650MW by the former to the latter. “Hostile statements from some lower level bureaucratic staff at the ministry actually have created the panic,” the KE official told Pakistan Today. Wednesday too, he said, saw an ‘unknown’ bureaucrat claiming that post-January 25 the KE would get no power from the national grid.
The privately-run KE fulfils the city’s averaged 2700-2800MW power demand through generating about 1800MW electricity, getting 650MW from the NTDC while the balance comes from other sources.
“We have high-level assurances from the federal government. And for arguments sake why should Karachi, like other cities of Pakistan, depend on some agreement (with NTDC) for getting its share of power in the national pool,” the official questioned.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sindh Shah, in a letter numbering PSO/P.SECY/CMS/2014/265, warned Prime Minister Sharif that any withdrawal of power supply, dedicated for Karachi, from the national pool would cause a “massive increase in social and political problems due to increased load-shedding for the KE’s customers, including industrial ones.
Besides, the power cut, he said, would inflict huge losses on the city’s industrial output, increase consumer tariff and further burden the Government of Pakistan through increased Tariff Differential Calms (TDCs).
“It would be unfair and detrimental if 650 MWs of supply from NTDC is interrupted or stopped,” the chief minister told the prime minister.
Dubbing it as an engine of economic growth, Karachi, he reminded the premier, was the industrial, commercial and financial hub of the country.
Drawing over 25-30 percent of country’s Gross Domestic Product, the city was contributing in the national kitty more than 65 percent revenue, about 30 percent of manufacturing, more than 90 percent of financial trade, around 95 percent of the country’s sea-borne trade by providing access through Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
Shah also reminded the prime minister that the 18th Constitutional Amendment had ‘categorically’ empowered the provincial governments to have meaningful contribution while deciding the distribution of energy resources.
“The province of Sindh contributes more than 65 percent of the gas being produced in the country, whereas, it consumes less than 35 percent,” he said.
Therefore, the chief minister said, it was a fundamental right of the citizens of Sindh, particularly Karachi, to have due share from the national power pool under Article 158 of the Constitution.
He said while the 650 MW was hardly 4-5 percent of total national grid capacity, Karachi would emerge as a “power hub” for export of power to other parts of the country after materialization of the upcoming projects on coal and nuclear being undertaken in the city and its adjoining areas. “The Government of Sindh and KE’s future expansion plans would enable it to attain self-sufficiency for power by 2020,” he said.
“I request you to direct the Ministry of Water and Power/NTDC to continue to support Karachi and parts of rural Sindh and Balochistan with a capacity of 650 MWs from the national grid,” Shah said.
Assumingly, a KE official said, if disrupted the shortage of 650MW would increase load-shedding hours at least by 12 hours only for the industrial sector. “All the load-shedding exemptions would be ended,” he added.
However, the official said, any such disconnection by the NTDC was totally out of question. “An industrial association has brought a court’s stay order against any such withdrawal,” he said.
