LARKANA: State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali alleged on Tuesday that successive governments have ruined the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) as both were handed over to what he described as favourites.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a 132KV grid station and later talking to reporters near Madeji, he said the steel mills could be given to the province if it wished to. He said: “We cannot afford to waste billions of public money on them. It is the story of the past when just a matriculate was asked to head the Oil and Gas Development Company.”

Without naming anyone, he said certain leaders were out to destroy the PIA and the steel mills, but their designs would be foiled. He criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan for his flawed sit-in through which, he said, he wanted to inflict damage on the country’s economy. According to Mr Ali, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had never practised the politics of reconciliation nor did he indulge in any muk muka.

The prime minister had not committed rigging, he said, adding that if serving the masses was rigging, the PM would continue doing it.

He said a power connection to the house of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA from Lahore had been snapped due to non-payment of Rs3.8 million outstanding dues and similarly the electricity supply to a media house was also cut off owing to Rs17,000,000 arrears.

The state minister claimed that the power connections of 40 to 43 big defaulters, including certain legislators, were disconnected by the Sukkur Electricity Power Company and that was why they continued raising the issue on the floor.

He said PM Sharif had promised establishing a power grid station in Madeji and the same was inaugurated in his tenure.

He also announced awarding one month’s bonus to the staff stationed at the grid station.

SUKKUR: Talking to newsmen at Sukkur Airport on Tuesday, Abid Sher Ali observed that airlines of the world were making good progress, but PIA was declining.

Despite a large number of unnecessary recruitments in PIA, the prime minister had given assurance that airline employees would not be disturbed, he said.

The state minister came Sukkur to hold a meeting with the Sepco authorities which was held at the auditorium of Sukkur Institute of Business Administration on Tuesday.

Speaking on the issue of Karachi, he said the operation continued with success and peace had been restored in the city due to efforts of the Rangers and other law enforcing agencies. He said political organisations should refrain from their armed wings.

He said the federal government was ready to extend complete cooperation with the Sindh government.

The state minister said the federal government was working on several energy schemes and trying its best to overcome the crisis of load shedding as early as possible.

SHIKARPUR: The state minister claimed that Wapda line losses, which had been increasing every year, were brought under control and recovery was increased from 86 per cent to 93 per cent. Now Wapda had become a profitable institution with the efforts of its employees.

The elected democratic government of Pakistan was determined to build the future of the country. The federal government under the supervision of PM tried its best to improve the socio-economic condition of the people and was making efforts to provide basic amenities to the people of all the provinces in the country, he said.

Special attention was being given towards supplying the electricity facility to the masses.

The minister also claimed that the Wapda department was paying special attention to the settlement of electricity loadshedding problem.

It would overcome the problem within some years while the loadshedding had been controlled to a great extent in the past three years, he said.

He also appealed to the electricity customers to extend their cooperation and coordination in making payments of electricity bills regularly and avoid misuse of power in the larger interest of the country and its nation.

Earlier, Mr Ali inaugurated the newly-constructed grid station at Madeji. It would help reduce power fluctuation and issues of low voltage in Larkana, Shikarpur and other adjoining areas, he said.

Others who also spoke on the occasion included Sepco chief Dildar Husnain Memon and others.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016