LARKANA, Jan 22: A high-level committee of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is arriving here to probe into the allegations of excessive billings from the Sindh government against Hesco and Wapda authorities.

The 70-member committee, headed by General Manager, Surveillance, and General Manager, Operations, has been assigned the task of the investigations in Larkana after the reports that several departments under the Sindh government have been handed over excessive electricity bills of six billion rupees in Larkana circle.

The sources in the Hesco informed that the Wapda chairman had also asked the Hesco chairman to include the former superintendent engineer, presently working as Director Inventory Control, Larkana circle, in the investigations as the excessive billings had been made in his tenure.

The four sub-divisions of Larkana would mainly be under the target of the high-powered inquiry committee, which include the Thul sub-division of Kandhkot and Shahdadkot, Chandka sub-division of Larkana-I and Empire road, Ratodero sub-divisions of Larkana-II and the Lakhi sub-division of Shikarpur.

The committee will hold inquiries of the Scarp tube-wells, Highways, Local Bodies, Public Health, Police, Education and other departments of the Government of Sindh. The committee would see the consumption of each tube-well of the Scarp in 24 hours as the electric supply lines to the Scarp tube-wells have been shown as consuming most of the electricity in the electric bills handed over to the Sindh Government.

It is also pertinent to mention that the inquiry committee has been initiated following a complaint from the Sindh Governor lodged with the Wapda chairman regarding the excessive bills on the account of the Sindh government departments.

Around Rs140 billion, deducted from the Sindh government account on behalf of electricity charges, were returned to the Sindh government by the Wapda after terming the billing complain from Sindh as genuine by the Wapda.

The team would initiate inquiry from Thursday (January 24).