ISLAMABAD: With power riots spreading from Punjab to parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa because of increased load-shedding, the Minister for Water and Power Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar on Wednesday issued directives to streamline the power set up in the country.

While chairing the Energy Management Committee meeting, the minister directed to streamline load management, eliminate unscheduled load shedding and ensure equitable load shedding in the country.

He said that two officers from each of the nine electricity distribution companies (Disco) will be located at National Power Control Centre (NPCC).

“These officers will ensure allocated power drawls as per their share of their companies, lifting of forced load shedding and removal of transmission and distribution constraints,” the minister said adding that it would ensure that all the Discos got their due share of electricity.

It was also decided that there should not be any shutdown of electricity generation plants due to minor faults and directed the power managers of the country to avoid prolonged power interruption due to system constraints.

“Smooth and uninterrupted power supply is the priority of the government,” Chaudhri Ahmed Mukhtar said. “The government is utilising all the resources to enhance the power generation.”

The committee was informed that the electricity power shortfall in country was 4,012 MW as the demand in the country was 17,933 megawatt, while 13,921 MW was being generated.

According to a source present in the meeting said apart from discussing traditional ways to save energy, including measures of energy conservation and reduction in line losses, it was also decided that the use of energy efficient electric appliances by consumers should be encouraged.

The minister also reiterated that there should be no load shedding during Sehar and Iftar and all efforts should be made to provide maximum relief to consumers during Ramazan.

A representative of Islamabad Electric Supply Company said that official load shedding duration ranged between 7 and 9 hours, but residents of the federal capital said that they were facing up to 10 hours of power outages.

At the same time the official load shedding for Rawalpindi is between 8 and 10 hours daily but residents said it reaches to 12 hours daily.