Rumours of NTDC MD’s sacking make rounds

Power breakdown

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Confusion prevailed on Friday over the sacking of Managing Director, National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC), and dissolution of board of directors as the Ministry of Water & Power and the Prime Minister’s Secretariat categorically denied about such developments.

Earlier, it was reported that the Ministry of Water and Power irked by the two major power breakdowns in a week’s time had sacked Ch Mohammad Arshad as managing director of the NTDC after holding him responsible for the fiasco.

According to the sources, Ch Arshad was summoned on Friday to the ministry by the high-ups and after exchange of hot words, he was immediately removed then and there.

According to reports, the ministry had sent a summary to the prime minister seeking reconstitution of the Board of Directors of the NTDC as, the ministry deemed, the existing BoD has shown inefficiency in effectively running the NTDC.

However, the Ministry of Water and Power Spokesman, Zafaryab Khan, and the prime minister’s spokesman denied any move to sack the MD or the board.Zafaryab stated, “There is no truth in the report vis-à-vis removal of the NTDC board or its MD.” A senior member of the NTDC Board said there was no reason for taking action against the NTDC as its staff was not responsible for power failures, citing results of a departmental inquiry. In fact, he insisted, the NTDC staff managed to restore power in a very short span of time. He maintained that several other steps are also being taken to improve the transmission system. Owing to such steps, he observed, power failure was contained to a restricted area. He continued to say that administrative action should be taken against the officials of power generation companies responsible for power breakdowns.