PAC recommends ending free electricity for govt officers, employees

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended ending free electricity facility to all government officers and employees from Grade 16-22. PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan said that they were standing in front of the IMF and, therefore, free electricity must be ended.

The PAC meeting was held under Chairman Noor Alam Khan in which the audit paras related to the Power Division of the Ministry of Energy for the financial years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 were examined.

The PAC expressed its strong annoyance over not ending free electricity supply to Wapda employees and decided to write a letter to the prime minister on the issue and to recommend to the prime minister for ending free facility to all officers of Grade 16-22. “‘The poor pay hefty electricity bills but elite are being provided free electricity facility,” he said. He said that MNAs and parliamentarians do not avail free electricity or free gas.

Noor Alam Khan said that free electricity of officers from Grade 16-22 should be terminated as the country faced a loss of Rs9 billion annually due to it. He said that he will raise the issue of free electricity in the National Assembly as well.

The PAC chairman asked the secretary Power Division to hold an inquiry into continuous losses in the power sector and identify those who were responsible for the losses. He also asked the secretary Power Division to also recommend which cases have to be sent to NAB or FIA in the inquiry report that would be taken up in the next meeting.