KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday urged the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to reduce power tariff, announce a comprehensive package for poor consumers, stop issuance of detection bills and bind the power distribution companies (DISCOs) not to disconnect power connections of entire areas for non-payment from a few consumers.

He said this while talking to Nepra delegation led by its chairman Tauseef Hussain.

The other delegation members were Member Sindh Rafique Shaikh, Member Balochistan Rahmatullah Baloch and Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bahadur Shah. The chief minister was assisted by Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh and PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro.

The chief minister said that Nepra had further enhanced the tariff by Rs1.53 against fuel adjustment. “The power tariff is already unaffordable for poor consumers and its further increase would not only put additional burden on consumers, but force them to resort to stealing” power, he said.

The chief minister added that the power theft issue could be controlled by rationalising power tariff.

The chairman agreed with the chief minister that the tariff should be affordable and added the fresh increase of Rs1.53 in the tariff was only for one month.

Another issue the chief minister raised was the issuance of detection bills by Hesco and Sepco. “We have seen people begging for paying detection bills,” he said and added this injustice was only in Sindh.

The Nepra chairman assured the chief minister that he would personally resolve the issue. He nominated Member Nepra Sindh Rafique Shaikh to present him a detailed report on the issue.

Murad Ali Shah also took up the issue of ever-increasing loadshedding in the province. “The increasing loadshedding sometime causes law and order situation, therefore necessary measures must be taken to control loadshedding,” he said and added that summer was approaching, and measures to control loadshedding should be taken in time.

Mr Shah said that the KE and other DISCOs, Hesco and Sepco disconnected power supply of the low-billing areas. “This policy turns out to be a punishment for consumers who pay their bills in time and this must be stopped,” he said.

The chairman assured the chief minister that he had already directed the DISCOs to stop the policy.

The chief minister, minister energy and Nepra chairman also discussed tariff issues of renewable power projects being installed in Sindh, along with the tariff for waste to energy projects.

The chief minister presented shield, ajrak and Sindhi caps to the visiting delegation and lauded their policy of developing coordination with the provincial governments.

The chairman Nepra also presented the Nepra shield to the chief minister and thanked him for discussing the issues.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2021