News Desk |
Senate Standing Committee on Power has recommended Ministry of Power to not install any new transformers or towers in any part of the country before General Elections.
The Committee decided to take this matter in detail in the meeting of the sub-committee next Wednesday and asked the CEO to submit the demands for up-gradation and the documents in its support.
The Committee was told by the Ministry that ECP has already issued directives to the ministries of stopping any and all development work before July 25 and assured that a follow-up meeting with CEOs of DISCOs will also be held in this regard.
The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Fida Muhammad at the Parliament House on Thursday and was attended among others by Senators Nauman Wazir Khattak, Saadia Abbasi, Mian Ateeq Sheikh, Maula Bakhsh Chandio, Molvi Faiz Muhammad, Additional Secretary Power, Joint Secretary Power, and CEOs of DISCOs.
Read more:Â Caretaker Government is responsible for load shedding: Nawaz Sharif
The Committee has also asked the Ministry of Power to sit with the Engineering Development Board under the Ministry of Industries to define continuous process of power in different areas for all DISCOs from K-Electric to TESCO.
The Committee while discussing the matters of K-Electric has asked the ministry of power to submit a copy of the agreement of supply of 650MW to K-Electric from the national grid in the next meeting. The Committee sought details as to why the supply is continuing despite the expiry of contract in 2015.
The Committee took strong notice of low maintenance and up-gradation of machinery at Lakhra Power Plant that has a capacity of generating 150MW but due to low grade coal boilers and non-maturing of cases of procurement, the only unit out of three that is working is facing problems. The Committee decided to take this matter in detail in the meeting of the sub-committee next Wednesday and asked the CEO to submit the demands for up-gradation and the documents in its support.
Read more: Social media lambasted Maryam Nawaz for her delusional ‘no-load shedding tweet’
The Committee was told by CEO PESCO that the problem of load shedding and tripping of feeders in Hattar Industrial Estate will be resolved in one month’s time after converting the 400/5 series panels to 800/5 series panels. While discussing the up-gradation of scales of various officers of DISCOs from BPS-19 to BPS-20, the Committee was told that the committee for scale up-gradation sits twice a year and currently 146 people are eligible for promotion. The Committee sought details of the promotion criteria along with Key Performance Indicators and recommended that promotions and up-gradations should be competency based and not time-based.