Islamabad - State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali has said that currently the Ex-Wapda Distribution Companies (DISCOs) are not being privatised.
“The Discos management and their labour union leaders have assured to the prime minister, in a meeting, that they will cut their line losses and improve their recoveries,” Abid told the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Water and Power here on Thursday
The committee was also apprised that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were carrying out investigation into alleged irregularities in the recent recruitment in Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).
The committee, which met with Arshad Khan Laghari in the chair, reviewed net metering, privatisation of feeders, collection of bills through private sector, establishment of a grid station in tehsil Jhund and appointments in Hyderabad Electric Supply Company besides other matters.
The state minister disclosed that urban and rural areas would experience six and eight hours of loadshedding, respectively, in the coming summers. “Efforts would be made to ensure no loadshedding during Sahar, Iftar and Taraveeh prayers during Ramadan in most of the areas,” Abid added.
He also assured the committee that grid station of 66KV, located in Orakzai Agency, which had been damaged by militants in 2009, would be built again.
The Tribal Electric Supply Company CEO told the grid station’s rebuilding would cost Rs 145 million. “PC-1 of the project is ready, and will be submitted to the Planning Commission for approval,” he added.
The committee was further informed that currently no proposal was under consideration to privatise the feeders and collection of bills through the private sector. On the issue of irregularities in recruitments in IESCO, IESCO Chief Executive Officer Rana Abdul Jabbar informed the committee that a case in this regard was also pending before the Islamabad High Court bench.
On net metering, the IESCO chief said the company had formulated department Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for entertaining requests relating to net metering connections for applied load/capacity from 1 KW to 1000 KW.
“Connection of solar for net metering with IESCO of Parliament House having capacity of 1 MW has recently been commissioned,” he informed.
Rana said that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between IESCO and Renewable and Alternative Energy Association of Pakistan (REAP)for the installation of a pilot solar project at the company’s headquarters, having the capacity of 3 KW. “The project would soon be inaugurated,” he added.
He said three applications of net metering connections had recently been entertained at the IESCO operation circle offices.
IESCO chief further said that there were some issues, including unawareness about net metering regulations among power distribution companies (DISCO's) officers, fear of revenue losses, interconnection studies and updating of billing software and specification for bi-directional meters.
Regarding benefits of net metering, the CEO said it had many benefits, including energy contribution from renewable based consumers, demand side management, reduction in gap between generation and demand, reduction in consumer electricity bills, reduction in system losses, reduction in overloading and environment friendly technology.
Alternate Energy Development Board Chief Executive Officer Amjad Awan informed the body that one kilowatt (KW) would cost Rs.169,000, while information about the cost per KW had already appeared in the national dailies.
He said net metering was new in Pakistan, but it was successfully experimented in Australia, where such meters were installed in many areas.
Earlier, MNA Syed Ghazi Gulab Jamal said the process for repatriation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) had already started, but the 66KV grid station in Orakzai had yet not been rebuilt despite a lapse of so many years. He threatened to boycott the committee meetings in future, if this important issue was not resolved.
Regarding appointment in HESCO, the standing committee was apprised that WAPDA sports board had recommended candidates against the sport quota.