Wapda told to utilise Rs4.6bn to avoid loadshedding
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 7: The government has directed Wapda’s distribution companies to immediately utilise Rs4.6 billion released by it for completion of transmission projects before the summer season gets under way, to avoid load-shedding in peak demand period.
Officials sources told Dawn on Wednesday that a meeting presided over by Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi had also authorised the distribution companies to serve disconnection notices on defaulters for outstanding bills ranging from Rs25,000 to Rs100,000.
The meeting, however, did not discuss ways of recovering the huge amount of Rs55 billion outstanding against different public sector organisations which mostly got away with late payment surcharge unlike private consumers who had to pay 10 per cent extra for late payment, he said.
The meeting was convened to work out a plan to minimise the load-shedding when peak demand goes beyond 14,500MW and to manage the over-loaded transmission system to avoid major power breakdowns like the one that occurred last year.
The minister directed all the distribution companies to speed up work on the electricity development projects, augmentation of existing grid stations and replacement of outdated transformers for reducing losses and strengthening transmission lines to ensure smooth power supply to consumers during the summer season.
The meeting was attended also by chief executives of all Discos besides officials of the ministry concerned and a member of power, Wapda.
An official statement said the minister was assured that the work on augmentation and upgradation would be completed well before the coming summer season. Most of the work on transmission lines and replacement would be completed by the end of the current month, the minister was informed.
A press statement quoted Mr Jatoi as saying that the transmission lines must be strengthened and the system should be in order to provide smooth power supply and better facilities to customers.
He also ordered replacement of all overloaded transformers on priority basis. He asked for installation of capacitors on 132KV and 11KV grid stations and feeders respectively and `time of date’ (TOD) meters for agri-sector consumers to save energy.
Wapda representatives were directed in the meeting to make the upgraded Standard Operative Procedures (SOPs) operative to avoid any major power breakdown in the country.
The meeting decided to improve financial health of the companies by accelerating their recovery campaign and initiating action against power theft and regularisation of illegal connections to reduce line losses and avoiding overload on the system.
