PESHAWAR - Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Energy and Power Muhammad Atif Khan said that the federal government intended to make amendments in Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act (RGTD-EPA) 1997, which he said would compromise neutrality of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) as regulator.

It will dilute NEPRA’s powers and will arm the federal government with unbridled powers. These amendments are not in the interest of the provinces and public in general, the minister said.

In a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) held on May 2, these draft amendments were discussed and federal minister for water and power was directed by the CCI to hold meeting with chief ministers of the provinces to seek consensus.

On May 9, a meeting was held between the federal minister for water and power and chief ministers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and representatives of Punjab and Balochistan governments. In the said meeting, no consensus was developed but later on the federal minister claimed that views of the provincial governments had been incorporated and final draft would be shared with the provinces, the minister said.

The final draft was shared with the provinces vide their letter dated 10th May and the provincial government conveyed its comments, and opposed the proposed amendments. He further reiterated that KP was still against the amendments.

These amendments will equip the ministry of water and power to add any surcharge of any amount in the electricity bills to fleece power consumers and thus the people will badly suffer, he said. We strongly oppose these amendments and will leave no stone unturned to resist these amendments, he maintained.