September 17, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 9, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: Wapda has challenged the facts given in the report “Wapda increases domestic rates” appearing in Dawn on Saturday, and attempted to confuse the consumers.

In a statement, Wapda has claimed that the report is not true. “The fact is that Wapda has been allowed (an) increase of 19 paisa per unit with effect from August 13, 2002 for the domestic consumers....Any decision made with regard to tariff is notified by the government of Pakistan through gazette notification for implementation by the utility. Wapda, therefore, cannot revise electricity tariff of its own (ibid),” the statement said.

Wapda did not mention that an 8 paisa per unit increase, allowed as an interim relief, later became part of the overall 27 paisa per unit increase.

Wapda spokesman Col Safir Tarar told Dawn that Wapda had issued only policy level directives to various distribution companies and was not responsible for individual bills issued by these companies.

He said that an individual bill might have been issued by some official with personal motives for which Wapda should not be blamed and that local distribution companies should be questioned for that.

Dawn is in possession of various domestic bills which confirm that tariff increase passed on to the consumers in the current bills was to the tune of 56 paisa when compared with the last month’s bills.

The Wapda statement said that per unit rate for up to 100 units was Rs2.30 before August which is now Rs2.49 per unit. The bills issued by the Islamabad Electric Supply Company suggest that the rate charged for 100 units was Rs2.332 (and not 2.30 as claimed by Wapda) last month which has now gone up to Rs2.388. Same is the case with upper slabs.