ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a joint ministerial meeting on Friday and directed all the departments concerned to work round the clock to overcome the energy crisis.

“All those working in relevant departments will have to work 24/7. Any lapse on their part will not go unpunished and any good work they do will not go unrewarded,” the prime minister remarked at the meeting.

Editorial: Power fumble

He directed the finance division and ministries of petroleum & natural resources and water & power to ensure that at least 2,400MW of additional electricity was provided to the national grid by February of 2015.

He said the people were justified in demanding electricity at affordable rates. Their demand was in line with the promises made by PML-N before the general elections.

Mr Sharif pledged that he would regularly be chairing meetings of the relevant ministries in order to achieve the desired results within the stipulated timeframe.

In case an electricity bill was issued without meter reading, it should mention clearly that it was a “presumptive bill”, he said. Any excess amount charged should be adjusted when the meter was finally read.

He directed the ministry of water and power to ensure that every meter was read at least once in three months.

Mr Sharif was informed that the first consignment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would reach Pakistan by February and subsequently made available to the power sector.

The prime minister gave approval for making LNG available to the Kot Addu power plant, which would produce 1,200MW, and four other plants (Orient, Saif, Sapphire and Halmore), which would collectively produce 800MW.

The fuel would also be provided to Jamshoro power plant for producing 400MW to 500MW.

Mr Sharif asked officials concerned to expedite the related projects, including the fast-track LNG terminal, SSGC LNG terminal, Gwadar-Nawabshah LNG terminal and pipeline, private LNG terminals, GEI, PGPL and Bahria projects, to import 2BCFD of the fuel, sufficient to generate up to 15,000MW.

The meeting was informed that there were opportunities for producing affordable electricity through mobile and on-site power plants at 26 gas fields in the country.

Mr Sharif said line losses and theft of electricity should be controlled at all costs.

The meeting was attended, among others, by federal Ministers Khwaja Mohammad Asif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pervez Rashid, Ahsan Iqbal, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khwaja Saad Rafique.

Published in Dawn, October 25th , 2014