"But load-shedding will continue in areas where there is over 80 per cent power thefts," he added. He said that when the PML-N came into power in 2013, the country was producing only 9,279 megawatt electricity against the demand of 11,800 megawatt - an average shortfall of 2500 megawatt and almost eight to ten hours load-shedding. The minister said that maximum number of feeders across the country would be turned to zero load-shedding from December 4, adding there would be no load-shedding at 5,297 feeders out of total 8,600.
He said total 15 million meter owners would benefit from zero load-shedding and there would be no discrimination among the provinces or urban areas and rural areas on that count. The feeders with below 10 per cent power theft would benefit from the zero load-shedding while other feeders would be subjected to load-shedding in accordance with the rules made to check power theft, he added.
He said two-hour load-shedding would be observed at feeders with 10-20 per cent power theft and so on, adding the feeders with over 80% theft would be subjected to 16 to 20 hours load-shedding. Leghari said the government wanted to facilitate the people who were showing responsibility and could not treat equally the feeders with less or low power theft with those having huge power theft.
Giving break-up, the minister said earlier there were just 58 feeders on zero load-shedding with LESCO, which would now be enhanced up to 102. Similarly the zero load-shedding feeders in FESCO would increase to 896 from 20, in IESCO to 710 from 72, in MEPCO to 763 from 54, in Peshawar to 309 from 60, in Hyderabad to 204 from 10, in Sukkur to 24 from 18, in QESCO to 61 from 12 and in tribal areas to 29 from zero.
He said after completion of ongoing power plants, there would be up to 25,000 megawatt on line capacity so when the peak demands in summer would be easily met. He said that the ministry was focusing to enhance the performance of all the DISCOS and expressed the hope that there would be a revolutionary change in power distribution during next couple of months.
He said legislation is being made to overcome the issues of over-billing. After the passage of that particular law by the Senate, the persons involved in over-billing would be punished in accordance with law.
"There is a law to check power theft, but it was never implemented," he added He said currently only 2,400 megawatt electricity was being produced through furnace oil run plants and within next two years, the production through the use of the particular fuel would be reduced.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017