HYDERABAD: The members of subcommittee of the National Assembly’s standing committee on power and a representative of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday expressed displeasure over ‘reuse’ of a transformer by Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) that had caused deaths of 10 persons after it exploded in a Latifabad locality on July 22.

The members met Hesco management at the power utility’s office and conveyed their concern that the ‘killer’ transformer had been ‘used’ again. “Actually the claim was made by Nepra general manager Rafiq Ahmed Shaikh, which was contested by Hesco officers but Mr Sheikh stuck to his viewpoint,” said a committee member.

Hesco spokesman Mohammad Sadiq said the the Nepra officer’s information was not correct because the accident-hit transformer had not been reused since it burnt on July 22. It had been lying in the power utility’s store since then, he said.

The committee member said that after Mr Rafiq’s insistence on veracity of his information the Hesco officials backtracked on their position.

The members observed that Hesco’s appeal against Oct 11 decision of Nepra, imposing fine of Rs26 million on the power utility should be disposed of as early as possible. Hesco was to pay an amount of Rs3.5m to each victim of the July 22 accident.

They expressed concern over issuance of detection bills to consumers by the power utility without adhering to the set procedure laid down by the authority.

They said that according to relevant rules, consumers must be served notice and clearly told about the power theft by him or her before the detection bill was issued to them.

According to convener of the subcommittee, Lal Chand Malhi, consumers’ complaints about issuance of detection bills by Hesco abound and the committee members have taken the issue seriously.

He said that load management plan needed to be strictly followed as per required guidelines and a faulty transformer should be replaced within six hours but it was observed that the replacement took several days.

He said that it was mandatory for Hesco to serve notice before issuance of detection bill as per rules but it was not done. “As per practice, the detection bills are being issued by staff without going through legal requirements and consumers are left to suffer,” he said.

Hesco officers informed the committee members that Rs19bn rehabilitation programme was in pipeline and appeal against Nepra’s decision of imposition of Rs26m fine was also pending disposal.

The committee members Sabir Kaimkhani, Nuzhat Pathan, Saira Bano, Ghulam Mustafa Shah and secretary of National Assembly Naureen Erum were assured by the newly-appointed Hesco chief executive officer Noor Ahmed Soomro, who had replaced Rehan Hamid, that all problems of customers were being addressed.

Soomro said that telephonic katchehries were being held and superintending engineers were directed to check issuance of detection bills and settle them at the earliest. He said that load management was being done as per approved guidelines. Some technical faults, however, led to disruption in power supply, he said.

Embattled CEO not allowed to resume charge

Meanwhile, as the committee’s meeting was in progress, the embattled CEO Rehan Hamid arrived in Hesco office to resume the charge but incumbent management headed by Soomro did not allow him to do so.

Hamid warned that he would file contempt of court case against the Hesco authorities to which

he was told that since the sitting CEO had not yet been de-notified by the ministry he could not take over charge.

Hamid had received an interim order passed on his plaint by Sindh High Court principal seat last week, which suspended till Dec 22 operation of the ministry’s notification whereby he was removed. The Hesco office gate remained closed and policemen were posted outside. The court was scheduled to hear Hamid’s petition on Dec 22.

Hamid was removed by the federal energy ministry on charges of misconduct. He has challenged his removal on the ground that he was contracted for three years and was removed when he went abroad to attend wedding of his daughter after approval of leave by the Hesco board of governors.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021