Senate panel for improving power bills recovery

Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power expressed its dismay over the non-recovery of power bills and no control overpower theft by the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa government. State Minister for Water and Power, Abid Sher Ali during a meeting held here Tuesday said that the Ministry of Water and Power had improved its move of recovering power dues from Peshawar and its sorroundings, from the defaulters.

Briefing the members of the committee, the minister said that recovery of power bills at the three police station areas had been improved in Peshawar, with the help of police.

The minister said that with the help of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), so for 4000 first information reports (FIRs) had been registered against the power thieves and defaulters in Peshawar.

Abid Sher Ali said that due to the law and security situation in the particular areas of Peshawar city and suburbs, the workers of PESCO could not go there, but now situation was improving. The minister asked the committee to help increase the installation of 100 percent power meters in the area, so that billing system could be started. The chairman of the committee senator Zahid Khan directed Inspector General of police (IG) KPK to attend body's the next meeting which has been convened at Pashawar.

Zahid Khan said that if any official was found responsible in the power theft and non-payment of dues, he would be taken to task. He said that if PESCO officials were found involved in safeguarding power pilferers, they would be brought to justice. Similarly, Senator Nisar Muhammad expressed dismay over 90 percent power losses in the areas located on the outskirts of Peshawar.