ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed relevant agencies to finalize within a week an emergency power generation plan to induct about 1600-1700-mw of additional electricity into the system by 2007 to avoid a looming power shortfall.

Presiding over two separate meetings, the prime minister also asked the power sector agencies of the government to finalize policy guidelines for determination of tariffs “so that public and private sector power generation projects are implemented on fast track”.

He constituted a four-member committee led by his adviser on energy Mukhtar Ahmad and comprising secretary of water and power, chairman of Nepra and managing director of the Private Power and Infrastructure Board to submit the plan and policy guidelines by Saturday for a decision.

The prime minister rejected a proposal to establish an appellant body to adjudicate complaints against National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) but agreed to make certain amendments to the Nepra Act to enhance its professional capacity.

The amendments to the Nepra act relating to powers of the federal government and the ministry of water and power to issue policy guidelines to Nepra would be submitted to the federal cabinet for approval, the sources said.

The prime minister did not agree to a proposal to place Nepra under the administrative control of the ministry of water and power. It would continue to remain attached with the cabinet division like all other regulatory bodies.

The meeting also did not accept a proposal of the power ministry to replace some of the existing members of Nepra through amendment in the existing laws.

The prime minister was informed that a survey conducted by the ministry of water and power revealed a power shortfall of about 1300-mw in the Wapda system and about 400-500 mw in the KESC system.