HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has objected to the word ‘unanimous’ in the draft of the minutes of the 48th Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting. The draft of the minutes was received at the CM House on Sept 15.

The Sindh government has also hinted at taking the matter to joint sitting of parliament and has asked federal government to hold the policy regarding Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) in abeyance till then.

The acting chief secretary, on behalf of the CM, addressed a detailed letter to the prime minister through his principal secretary, Mohammad Azam Khan, on Sept 17 questioning veracity of the draft issued on Sept 13. He requested the PM to defer the IGCEP 2021-2030 till the issue was addressed by parliament.

“Government of Sindh being aggrieved by decision (IGCEP), which will have very far reaching implications for entire nation, will be presenting this matter before joint sitting of Parliament under Article 154(7) of constitution and until decision is taken by Parliament, it is requested that said policy is not brought into force,” the letter read.

Intends to take the matter of province’s energy projects to joint sitting of parliament

The provincial government is upset by federal government’s decision of excluding Sindh’s renewable (coal and solar) energy projects from the IGCEP.

According to a Sindh government official, federal government is not abiding by principle of competitive process.

The Sept 17 letter says: “... issue of IGCEP was brought before CCI because decision on [the] matter would have a direct impact on federating units. It was wisdom of Constitution makers [that] such issues should be properly deliberated amongst federation and federating units and no decision should be made without due regard of contentions raised by a federating unit ... it is shocking to note [that the] minutes of 48th meeting of CCI issued on Sept 13 and received in CM Sindh office on Sept 15 erroneously mentions that decision to approve controversial IGCEP was made unanimously”.

Reacting to the word “unanimously” used in the draft minutes, Sindh government officials argued that the Sindh CM and energy minister had, throughout the meeting, categorically objected to the manner the IGCEP was being proposed. They said that cheaper electricity options of renewable energy — wind and solar power — were ignored.

Although our contentions are recorded in the minutes, it is rather odd to read that the decision had been made unanimously, which is hard to fathom, says the acting CS.

Referring to certain points discussed in the meeting, the letter said the decision that hydel projects would be included in the definition of RE [renewable energy; and the ARE [alternative and renewable energy] policy would be suitably amended. It’s in itself sufficient to establish that members of the CCI were briefed and assured on something totally different from what has been decided, the letter added.

“Cheaper indigenous coal based power generation project and cheaper renewable energy based power generation projects have been ignored, which is clear violation of said provisions. Chairman NEPRA indicated this in meeting and divulged that 88pc of committed projects in IGCEP do not fulfil competitive and least cost principle. However, comments of Chairman are not part of minutes,” the letter claimed.

The CS has requested that the minutes should be corrected to state that the CCI decision “is unfortunately taken by majority, and not by unanimity”.

Two dozen wind projects in Sindh okayed by then Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) contribute 1,235MW of clean energy to the national grid. Sindh government has issued 35 letters of intent (LoI) with a cumulative capacity of 2485MW of wind projects. Of them, 12 wind power projects with a total 610MW capacity have achieved financial close and likely to achieve commercial operation date (COD) by 2021.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2021