Lahore (October 25, 2017): The National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy yesterday approved to add a new clause in the NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory) Act that empowers the regulator to recommend awarding three-year jail term or fine or both and to refer the case to the respective law-enforcement agency to register the case and book those involved in fleecing the consumers through wrong billing.
NA Comm.
The committee approved the amendment in a meeting presided over by Mr Bilal Virk here at Wapda House here.
Under the new clause the consumers will not lodge their overbilling complaints to the sub-divisional officers (SDOs), executive engineers (XENs) or other senior officer at any power distribution company- LESCO, MEPCO, HESCO, PESCO, etc- as the regulator (Nepra) alone will deal with such issues.
Under the current arrangement/procedure, the respective officers in Discos hear the consumers on such complaints. In most cases, the consumers get no remedy and rather they are forced to bribe the officials for correction of their bills.
NEPRA would have to establish offices in all the districts across the country where the consumers may submit their complaints in writing. Each complaint would be decided within a period of three months.
Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Laghari.directed the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the Discos to have close liaison with the MNAs and maintain a transparent record of development projects. “Timely completion of these projects must be ensured,” he said. He asked the CEOs to ensure availability of new applications related to electrification on the websites of respective Discos.
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