ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power, in its meeting, has okayed the old five-slab system to give electricity consumers relief.
The Committee discussed in detail the overbilling in last couple of months and decided to write to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that due to the present two slabs system, consumers belonging to lower and middle class has been burdened.
On the occasion, Committee Chairman Nepra Tariq Sadozai said 74 percent of general consumers use less than 200 units per month, and their bills remained unchanged. He said consumers using up to 700 units per month had to pay 25 percent extra bill, consumers of 200-300 units paid Rs232 extra, while useRs300-700 units paid Rs1028 extra. The committee observed that the government was not only withdrawing subsidies but was imposing new taxes on electricity. He said government has recently increased tariff by 60 paisa per unit.
The committee also observed that no work is in progress on Golan Gol Dam, which is resulting in huge losses to national exchequer. It discussed other projects and directed the concerned authorities to speed up work on water reservoir projects. Senate panel directs speedy work on establishment of oil refinery in KP.
