ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy (Power Division) has raised serious concern over non-payment of electricity bills by the Sindh government’s irrigation and power departments, with outstanding dues totalling around Rs724 million, resulting in financial losses for power distribution companies in the province.
According to an official statement issued on Wednesday, the committee directed the chief executive officers of Sukkur Electric Supply Company (SEPCO) and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), along with the secretaries of finance, irrigation and power departments of the Sindh government, to jointly reconcile the outstanding amounts and ensure timely payments to avoid recurring losses.
The meeting, held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Muhammad Idrees, MNA, was informed that the irrigation department alone owed Rs617 million to SEPCO and Rs125 million to HESCO for electricity supplied to SCARP tube wells, offices and irrigation colonies.
Officials from the Sindh irrigation and power departments maintained that bills related to irrigation colonies were not the responsibility of the provincial government, stating that power utilities had repeatedly been asked to bring residents of these colonies under a proper metering system. They informed the committee that individual meters had so far been installed in only two irrigation colonies under HESCO’s jurisdiction.
The committee was assured that the Sindh government was ready to reconcile the figures and pay verified bills. Taking note of the issue’s gravity, the committee decided to form a subcommittee under the convenership of Syed Wasim Hussain, MNA, to resolve the matter.
