May 20, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 21, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 19: Opposition and treasury senators from Balochistan on Friday expressed concern over the ongoing power crisis in the province and criticised the Water and Power Development Authority for carrying out unannounced load-shedding, causing hardships to people.

Speaking on an adjournment motion moved by Abdul Rahim Mandokhail of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, the senators held Wapda responsible for the situation and asked the government to take immediate remedial measures to improve the situation.

Another PKMAP Senator Raza Mohammad Raza said the people of the smaller provinces had become disappointed due to failure of the government to provide basic facilities to them.

He said that on one hand the federal government owed Rs500 billion to the NWFP on account of royalty of electricity and Rs600 billion to Balochistan as royalty for gas and on the other, it had failed to launch even a single electricity project in the two provinces. A treasury Senator Israrullah Zehri said a large number of orchards and crops had been destroyed in Balochistan due to the power crisis. He alleged that Wapda officials were giving wrong figures and reports to the water and power minister regarding the power situation in the province.

Mr Zehri further alleged that Wapda officials were themselves involved in destroying electricity towers to destabilise the province.

People’s Party Parliamentarians Senator Raza Rabbani drew the attention of the house towards a news report stating that 20,000 cusecs of water between Taunsa and Guddu barrages was being “stolen” daily. He said it was surprising that the government remained unaware of the water theft on the border of Punjab and Sindh.

Responding to Mr Rabbani’s points, Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi told the house that the water theft was discovered when he sent a two-member team of the Indus River System Authority to inspect the site. He said a final report of the incident was expected by Tuesday.

He assured the house that he would place the inquiry report before the Senate when he would get it.

About concerns shown by Balochistan senators, the minister admitted that there were complaints of load-shedding and low voltage in several areas of the province. He, however, said it was because of the fact that some miscreants had been destroying electricity towers to sabotage government’s development plans.

Moreover, the minister said, there was an extra load on power transmission lines in the province due to illegal tube-well connections. He said the government was ready to regularise the illegal connections, provided the people agreed to pay bills.

Mr Jatoi outlined various steps being taken by the government to improve the power supply situation in Balochistan.