Meanwhile Ministry of Energy (Power Division) has appointed Mujahid Pervez Chatta new CEO Lesco, Zukallua Gundapor new Chief Pesco, Attaullah Bhutta as CEO Qesco, and Saeed Ahmad as CEO Sepco. Insiders claimed that the minister has personal grudge against the sacked CEO Qesco Rehmat Ullah Baloch who has been appointed Member Nepra from Balochistan on the recommendations of provincial government.
However, the minister wrote a letter to concerned quarters expressing annoyance on the appointment on the plea that he has not been taken on board prior to the appointment.
Rehmat Ullah Baloch, sources said, recently met with Minister for Power and explained his position with respect to his appointment as Member Nepra. However, the Minister''s body language reportedly showed his annoyance. The defunct Pakistan Electric Power Company(Pepco) which is now being headed by Minister''s blue eyed officer who is getting Rs 0.7 million salary from AEDB and working in the Ministry as Joint Secretary, has already started investigation against the removed CEO for his alleged involvement in power theft in connivance with SDO.
The receivables of power sector have surged to Rs 788.39 billion, according to official data of Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) during July-November 2017 period.
Private sector has emerged as the biggest defaulter of Pepco which owes Rs 589.01 billion, followed by AJK government with Rs 88.87 billion outstanding, four provincial governments and their attached departments with Rs 37.95 billion, K Electric Rs 64.18 billion and federal government and its attached departments Rs 8.30 billion.
Power division maintains that action was also taken against those officials of the power distribution companies where losses had increased due to power theft. It further said that board of directors of these companies had also been asked to proceed towards further action.
"Government is taking all measures to control the power theft and losses," said a spokesperson of Power Division. He further stated targets were given to the companies to control losses. However, those heads had been removed who had failed to reduce losses and control power theft. Minister for Power Division Awais Leghari said that government was working on long-term plan to utilize all resources including wind, solar, Thar coal and hydel to generate electricity.
He said that solar projects with 800MW generating capacity were operational in Sindh and in KPK near Suki Kinari, and work on 870MW power project was underway. He said that government had not only started work on 1410MW Tarbela-4 power projects in KPK but several small hydel projects in KPK were generating electricity. He said that work was underway on 4300MW Dasu hydropower project in KPK. Leghari in a statement said that there was also requirement to install LNG based power projects in load centres of Punjab province and as soon as power projects start operation with indigenous resources, the government would give priority to produce electricity from these projects.