ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari Sunday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had fulfilled the promise, which it had made to the public four-and-a-half-year ago, of producing surplus electricity.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said that the overall electricity generation had gone up to 16,477 megawatt, which was about 2,700 megawatt more than the demand.
Leghari said that when the PML-N came into power in 2013, the country was producing 9,279MW against the demand of 11,800MW, facing a shortfall of 2,500 megawatt and almost 8 to ten hours load shedding.
He said maximum number of feeders across the country would be turned to zero load-shedding from December 4. There would be no load-shedding at 5,297 feeders out of total 8,600. Earlier, the number of feeders, where zero load-shedding was being observed, was only 326.
He said that a total of power consumers would benefit from zero load shedding and there would be no discrimination among the provinces or urban areas and rural areas on that count. The feeders with below 10 percent power theft would benefit from the zero load-shedding while other feeders would be subjected to load shedding in accordance with the rules made to check power theft, he added.
The minister said two-hour load-shedding would be observed at feeders with 10-20 percent power theft and so on. The feeders with over 80% theft would be subjected to 16 to 20 hours load-shedding, he added.
Giving break-up, the minister said there were just 58 feeders on zero load shedding with the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), which would be enhanced up to 102. Similarly the zero load shedding feeders with FESCO, IESCO, MEPCO and KESCO would be increased.
He congratulated the nation on behalf of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on the achievement of producing surplus electricity than the demand. “Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had made untiring efforts to achieve the objective,” he added. To a question, he said load shedding would continue in the areas where there was over 80 percent power theft.
To another question, the minister said after completion of ongoing power plants, there would be up to 25,000 megawatt on line capacity.
Leghari said the ministry was endavouring to enhance the performance of all the distribution companies (DISCOS) and expressed the hope that there would be a revolutionary change in power distribution during the next couple of months.
He said that legislation was being made to overcome the issues of overbilling. After the passage of that particular law by the Senate, the persons involved in overbilling would be punished in accordance with law, he maintained.
He said that the ministry was taking measure with the cooperation of the provincial governments to overcome the issue.
He said that only 2,400 megawatt was being produced through furnace oil and within next two years, the production through the use of the particular fuel would be reduced.
He said on the directives of Council of Common Interests, the ministry had put the information regarding power generation and distribution to the provinces online.
Published in Daily Times, December 4th 2017.
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