PM directs proceedings against officials, employees of power companies for extra units

ISLAMABAD, Jul 06  :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed for initiation of proceedings against those officers and personnel of the power distribution companies who were found sending extra units in the electricity bills of consumers.

The prime minister directed the power division to suspend such officials of power distribution companies, besides ordering the Federal Investigation Agency to launch investigation into such matters.

The prime minister chaired a meeting regarding reforms in power sector and solarisation process, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, federal ministers, Jam Kamal Khan, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Ali Pervaiz Malik and senior relevant officials.

The prime minister said that exemplary punishment should be given to those officials who had included extra units in the monthly bills of consumers with their anti-public attitude, besides unmasking them who had sent extra units to the protected consumers category, using less than 200 units per month.

During the meeting, the prime minister directed for accelerating efforts over renewable energy for power generation, adding that Pakistan could no longer afford to generate power on imported fuel.

He also expressed his resolve not to pass on the buck to the poor segment of society of the wrong policies measures of the past.

The prime minister said that the consumers would get relief in their monthly bills after utilization of affordable renewable energy resources for power generation.

He directed for immediate closure of dysfunctional government run power units and those which had been producing expensive electricity.

The prime minister observed that the world was generating power by using renewable energy, adding in Pakistan, there was immense capacity to produce solar power.

He directed for taking of measures to tap solar energy potential on priority basis.