ISLAMABAD: During ongoing turmoil surrounding the excessive electricity bills nationwide, the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat declared the matter to be a critical national concern during a meeting.
The committee took a serious note of the increase in electricity prices and observed that various areas have reported several suicide cases linked to excessive billing.
Committee Chairman Rana Maqbool Ahmad, a member of PML-N, stated that they had forwarded a proposal to the power sector regulator to eliminate all taxes on electricity bills, especially for the underprivileged class.
The committee decided to request a briefing from Waseem Mukhtar, Chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, regarding the pricing mechanism.
Senator Ahmad emphasized the need for a proactive approach. He urged the committee to gather detailed information about the owners of independent power producers (IPPs).
Committee member Kamil Ali Agha expressed the opinion that given the national crisis and the suffering of the people of Pakistan, relief should be provided to the masses at this stage.
Officials from the power division briefed the committee that a total of 164 fatalities had occurred in various power distribution companies (Discos) due to accidents in the fiscal year 2022-23, along with 106 non-fatal injuries.
Senate Committee Addresses Electrocution Safety and Legal Amendments
The committee requested additional information on recent cases of casualties and injuries caused by electrocution and substandard domestic electrical wiring in various Discos, as well as the measures taken to prevent fatal incidents.
The panel also expressed its disappointment that numerous cases were pending in the tribunal, and the affected individuals had not received their compensations.
It raised concerns about the delay in suggesting amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 to increase punishment for violations related to gas theft and other unlawful activities.
Chairman Masroor Khan of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority informed the committee that the interior ministry was not cooperating on this matter.
The committee instructed the interior ministry to refrain from intentionally delaying the issue.
Senator Agha, Senator Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Khalida Ateeb, Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Senator Engineer Rukhsana Zuberi, Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Naseebullah Bazai, Senator Mohammad Akram, Senator Saadia Abbasi, and Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi attended the meeting.
