ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has taken the notice of overbilling and theft of electricity and established a special committee under the supervision of Water and Electricity Advisor Mussadaq Malik. He instructed that the committee will present the report within a week to solve the complaints of electricity consumers.
Federal ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Abbas Afridi and Sardar Yousaf have briefed the cabinet and the prime minister on the issue of overbilling. They said that the consumers living in small flats have received Rs 20,000 to Rs 25, 000 electricity bills by the government. They said it is not only the mistake of metre readers but highups of Wapda were allegedly involved in the matter. Chaudhry Nisar was of the view that a person with Rs 500 paying capacity has been charged with Rs 5,000 electricity bills.
On the other hand, Water and Electricity Secretary Nargis Sethi has replied briefly on objections raised in the cabinet meeting. She said that electricity bills could have been increased because of recent decrease in load-shedding but the ministry will conduct investigations as per the instructions of the prime minister.
Sources told Customs Today that the government — on the instructions of the IMF — raised the per unit price of electricity from 12 to 15 rupee per unit for residential consumers having more than 300 units. “The electricity consumers have been crying over this Rs 4-5 per unit increase which made their living more difficult,” they added.
