“The new law after
amendments in the NEPRA Act to open door for potential private power supply
companies and create a healthy competitive environment for better service
delivery for the electricity consumers”.
The Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed
Khan Leghari told this in a meeting with WAPDA Hdro Electric Worker Union (CBA)
here today.
The Minister said that existing public sector electric
supply companies must improve its service delivery or they will face tough
competition from the private sector companies. He said that in order to provide
better service delivery, the public sector electric supply companies (DISCOs)
have to work hard in reducing the losses, bring in innovative modern
technological solutions, train its manpower to face the challenges and must be
consumer oriented.
The Minister while taking note of the high losses feeders
said that Government is also considering the option of providing incentives for
the staff and officers who succeed in reducing the losses to given targets. He
said that PEPCO and the Ministry are already tasked to work the proposals to
final shape.
The Federal Minister for Power Division informed the
participants of the meeting that he has directed the concerned authorities to
allocate sufficient funds for procurement of equipment necessary for ensuring
safety of the workers at different levels. He said that it is our priority to
provide secure environment to the electricity workers.
Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari informed the Union
representatives that directions have been passed to lift ban on necessary
recruitments in the DISCOs.
The Federal Minister said that policy is also under
consideration to evaluate the existing position of the public sector Generation
facilities in the future electricity generation scenario as to whether these
have the capacity to withstand the new parameters or withdraw.
The Federal Minister thanked the Union representatives
for their unequivocal support to the initiatives against over billing and wrong
billing across the country.
The Union General Secretary Mr. Khursheed Ahmed thanked
the Minister for Power Division for his personal interest in the affairs
relating to the welfare of the employees. He informed the Minister that the
employees are willing to work even better given they are provided with better
work related equipment. He expressed gratitude over the directions to lift ban
over death cases recruitment for the employees heirs. The Union representative
also presented various suggestions relating to improvements of working of
DISCOs and GENCOs.
