ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a Rs10 million fine on the National Grid Company (NGC) after finding serious lapses in network development, manpower deployment and safety standards in Sindh’s Jhimpir region. The fine was approved by a three-to-one majority of the authority.
The decision follows 41 months of legal proceedings, including an investigation, show-cause notice and multiple hearings.
According to Nepra’s order issued on Thursday, a May 2022 inspection found that the 220/132kV grid stations in the Jhimpir area were still under construction yet energised, despite no official handover/takeover by the project director—clear non-compliance with mandated health, safety and environment (HSE) investment requirements.
Nepra also discovered that NGC had no approved SOPs for the handover or takeover of newly built transmission lines, grid stations or associated assets. Even three months after energisation, the Jhimpir grid station was being run by only two shift engineers, working two consecutive days without proper rest and without supporting staff—an explicit violation of industry standards. Similar shortcomings were found across the South region.
The authority highlighted an acute manpower shortage, noting that despite almost three years, NGC had not filled its sanctioned posts needed to operate and maintain the expanding transmission network in the South. As a result, newly constructed grid stations and transmission lines were being left unattended, lacking staff, vehicles, material, and even basic safety equipment.
Nepra further observed that the grid station was functioning without basic amenities such as water, gas, and an electricity feeder, and staff posted in the remote area had no transport or housing facilities. The station itself was not accessible via paved roads, compounding operational challenges.
The regulator concluded that these persistent failures directly undermine system reliability and safety, warranting the financial penalty imposed on NGC.
