Govt only to ensure power supply during Sehar, Iftar

LAHORE: Instead of ending power outages from the country as promised, the federal government has come up with the standard plan of ensuring continuous supply of power during Sehar and Iftar in the upcoming Ramazan.

“Government is making all out efforts to ensure continuous supply of power during Sehar and Iftar in the month of Ramazan,” said Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, Secretary, power division of ministry of energy at the Lesco’s head office Friday. He was chairing a meeting of power sector stakeholders including top management of all power distribution companies (DISCOs), Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) and National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) in which demand and supply of power during forthcoming summer was discussed.

Khokhar asked all power distribution companies to prepare load management plan in accordance with the prospective demand during upcoming month of Ramazan and the summer season, especially keeping in view intensity of heat. Federal secretary said around 10-13 percent increase in the growth of power requirement was expected in 2018 during the summer against the last year’s demand, citing projections of the National Power Control Center (NPCC) and DISCOs. The meeting was convened to review supply situation in summer, loadshedding in high power losses feeders and steps for providing electricity supply to industry. Ilyas Ahmad, general manager NPCC informed the participants about last year’s supply and demand of all DISCOs and estimated demand in coming summer months, especially during Ramazan. Commenting on the power distribution plan of the government for summer, a senior official of power utility admitted that despite all efforts of the government to augment supplies on the generation, transmission and distribution levels have been futile as far as ending outages permanently. He added that still we are at a stage of making efforts just for ensuring continuous supply of electricity across the country only during Sehar and Iftar.

He maintained that loadshedding would continue in the high losses feeder as per load management plan. Our plan would be to ensure maximum power supply to industry as it plays an important role in country’s economic development, he observed.

Meanwhile, Khokhar also asked authorities concerned to make recommendations about setting up independent sports board under the

PEPSCO following bifurcation of ministry of water and power. The officials of DISCOs were of the view that separate sports board was needed to efficiently resolve issues relating to players appointment etc.