Senate body investigates overbilling, electricity theft and data variation in energy sector

The Senate Council meeting, held under the chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz at the Parliament building, was attended by Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Senator Kazim Ali Shah, Senator Muhammad Aslam Abro, Senator Hidayatullah Khan, Minister of Energy (Energy Division), Secretary of Energy Division, Special Secretary (Energy Division) and senior officials of the departments concerned.

The Committee discussed a point of public interest raised by Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan regarding excessive electricity bills and indifference of government officials/officers towards the plight of consumers, as referred for a report by the House during its sitting on 30-08-2024. Senator Palwasha raised concerns over incorrect meter readings and stated that her family had to visit the office 28 times in three months where they were confronted with misconduct.

Senator Palwasha condemned this behaviour, calling it part of a mafia and called for strict action. She suggested that the matter be referred to the FIA ​​to dismantle this group and make an example of it. She stressed that if her family was treated like this, the hardships faced by the common public would be unimaginable.

The chairman of the committee acknowledged her concerns and agreed that the issue was of public interest and noted that the scale of suffering is likely to be much greater. A senior official of the Power Division, who agreed with the members, informed the committee that action had already been taken. The responsible person has been transferred and the erroneous meter reading has been cancelled. He further stated that action has been taken against criminals.

The Power Division Minister added that what the senator mentioned falls under customer care, which is not directly part of electricity distribution. He also noted that there is a complaint system, 118, and all calls to this number are forwarded to the distribution companies. They are working on implementing an automated system at the sub-distribution level and revamping it to ensure that complaints are resolved with equal importance. He stressed that simply transferring people is not the solution; they are striving to bring about real change.

The committee chairman, Senator Mohsin Aziz, stressed the need to address electricity theft and overbilling and also directed the Power Division to provide clarity in their reports, noting inconsistencies in their responses regarding the number of Bagasse-based IPPs operating in the country and their pricing. He wondered how Bagasse was priced at $53, stating that this was the beginning of its operation as the price of Bagasse cannot be easily determined. He suggested that the ministry should monitor the Bagasse prices and explain why this problem arose in 2013 and 2015. He added that pegging the price to the dollar and imported coal has created a depreciation advantage for local operators. He advised the ministry to review the Bagasse prices and submit a report accordingly.

Subsequently, a detailed report on load-shedding and feeder-wise electricity distribution was presented by PESCO and SEPCO. MNA Asif Khan (NA-32) raised concerns about his constituency, addressing issues of maltreatment, over-billing and electricity theft. Senator Mohsin Aziz similarly pointed out the deployment of two feeders in one area, which has caused significant data discrepancies and requires cross-verification. He also highlighted discrepancies in feeder tariffs in the data provided by SEPCO, noting that line losses from one area appear to have been attributed to the other.

In his closing remarks, Senator Mohsin Aziz advised to organize the feeder-wise organization
details more systematically by dividing the data into six-monthly periods and categorizing load shedding under categories 2, 5 and 6 to provide a clearer picture. He also criticized PESCO and SEPCO’s inappropriate behavior towards the public and called for an explanation for the widespread electricity theft. Based on the report, the commission will further investigate corruption within the responsible departments.