ISLAMABAD, May 24: A Senate panel directed the water and power ministry on Friday to apply loadshedding schedule to all government departments and public office holders, except defence installations and hospitals.

“There should be no (loadshedding) exemption to anybody, including presidency, prime minister house, ministers’ enclave, high courts, judges, parliamentary lodges, bungalows of generals and others,” said Senator Zahid Khan of the Awami National Party, while presiding over a meeting of the Senate standing committee on water and power.

Only defence installations and hospitals should be exempted from loadshedding, he added.

The committee also directed the ministry to immediately stop supply of 650MW from national grid to the Karachi Electric Supply Company.

Senator Shahi Syed said that the KESC was earning millions of rupees every month despite its miserable performance as there were long periods of loadshedding in the city that had affected the common people most.

The committee asked the ministry to challenge in a court 'faulty’ agreements signed by the previous government with the KESC. It was informed that power supply to the KESC could not be cut off because of a stay order that the utility had already obtained from a court.

The committee was of the view that decisions of the Council of Common Interests could not be blocked through stay orders and hence the authorities should take steps to get the stay orders vacated.

Secretary water and power Anwar Ahmad Khan told the meeting that power generation had dropped to about 9400MW because of a shortage of fuel and funds, while demand had increased to an estimated 16,000-17,000MW, leaving a shortfall of about 7,000MW. He said the situation was not expected to improve until May 29.

The committee observed that an 'unrealistic’ schedule of loadshedding had been provided to it and said it would recommend stern action against those officials who had misled the parliamentarians as people were criticising politicians for their miseries. It asked the secretary to suggest measures for resolution of the crisis.

The secretary said that independent power plants could be converted to coal in 18 months. He said efficient power plants and those producing maximum electricity were given incentives throughout the world but it was the other way round in Pakistan where inefficient plants were being facilitated.

He said power plants in the country were obsolete and had been brought in after refurbishment. As a result, he added, these were consuming more fuel when compared with those in India and Bangladesh.

In Pakistan, he pointed out, efficiency tests and audit of power plants had never been conducted.

The committee recommended to the government to stop recovery of fuel-based tariff increases approved by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority for eight months.