May 12, 2002	Sunday	Safar 28, 1423

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LAHORE, May 11: Wapda should be directed to curtail its expenditure, curb corruption among its employees and reduce its electricity charges by half, a writ petition moved in the Lahore High Court on Saturday said.

Petitioner-lawyer Sharif Chowhan claimed that the authority spends about Rs63 billion per year on free supply of electricity to its serving and retired employees. A huge amount is spent on other perks, including residential plots.

Citing a World Bank report, he said Wapda has been declared ‘on of the most corrupt institutions of Pakistan.’ Most of its employees live beyond their known sources of income, he said.

The petitioner pointed out that 50 per cent of an electricity bill consists of government taxes, for which there is no justification.

Electricity is a necessity and its use should not be taxed. The total amount of all utility hills should not exceed 20 per cent of a family’s income. Several constitutional provisions were being violated by the government and Wapda by realizing exorbitant charges for electricity.

The petitioner prayed that the government be asked to stop recovering taxes on power consumption and Wapda be directed to halve the charges to relieve the pressure on ordinary consumer.

PLEA TO SC: Advocate M.D. Tahir has moved a petition in the Supreme Court to seek a direction to the Lahore High Court to dispose of a 14-year-old writ petition for abolition of the LHC benches at Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.