Nandipur Power Plant Supplying 500 MW: Senate Body Told

The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Thursday informed that Nandipur Power Plant was generating 500 MW electricity with 49 per cent efficiency

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Aug, 2021 ) :The Senate Standing Committee on Power on Thursday informed that Nandipur Power Plant was generating 500 MW electricity with 49 per cent efficiency.

The committee which met with Saifullah Abro in the chair sought compliance report on the previous committee meetings, briefing on aims, objectives of establishment of GENCO Holding Company Limited, GENCO-I, GENCO-II and GENCO-III etc.

Briefing the committee, the Chief Technical Officer GENCO said the Nandipur Power Plant earned Rs 5.5 billion revenue and now was running on gas. Earlier, it was being run on furnace oil, he added.

He said process of WAPDA un-bundling was started in 1992 aimed at major reforms in entire power sector.

He said in 1998, WAPDA was unbundled in 12 separate entities Including three GENCO, eight power distribution companies and National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC).

He said the main reason for the establishment of these companies was to enhance capital formation for Power Sector development out of the budget of Government of Pakistan. This would improve the efficiency of the Power Sector through competition, accountability, managerial autonomy and profit incentives and would rationalize prices and social subsidies.

This led to business transfer agreements with four GENCOs at that time (GENCO-I, II, III and IV. Currently, the Pakistan power sector boasts of four GENCOs, he said. The Committee discussed each GENCO's performance in detail.

Observing trends, the Committee opined that Human Resource exceeded the need of each GENCO. Except for GENCO-I the Committee showed reservations regarding the performance of the three GENCOs. The Committee recommended a cut down in this area and said that doing so would lighten the burden on the national exchequer imperative for growth. Details of capacity utilization were sought.

Discussing the Lakhra Power Plant, the Committee enquired about the recommendations made by the sub-Committee and directed the Ministry to submit its implementation report.

Giving compliance report, Secretary Power Ali Raza Bhutta told that 132 KV Grid Station Lala Qila and 132 KV Grid Station Munda (Balochistan) would be completed by November 2021 and March 2022 respectively.

The Chairman Committee said that recovery from government departments in both Hyderabad and Sukkur Electric Supply Companies were low. Even the whole police colony was getting free electricity, he added.

The secretary said that directives have been issued to recover all pending dues from all government departments.

The committee was told that board of Directors (BoDs) of HESCO has already approved compensation to the victims of electricity related incidents.

The HESCO Chief apprised that committee that several irregularities were found in appointment of Chief Financial Officer and others high posts. However, he said it was prerogative of the BoDs to take action. Saifullah Abro directed the ministry to take action in this regard.

Reviewing the Circular Debt plight the Committee directed the Ministry to submit a complete breakup of where and how much was spent. It also sought details of contributing factors.

Reviewing details of BODs of all concerned companies, the Committee was briefed about the selection process.

Chairman Committee, Senator Saifullah Abro gave directions to the Companies to submit the resumes of the BODs of their companies for further review.

The meeting was attended by Senators Fida Muhammad, Saifullah Sarwar Nyazee. Zeeshan Khanzada, Prince Ahmed Umer, Sana Jamali,Haji Hidayatullah and Hafiz Abdul Karim, CEOs HESCO, PESCO, SEPCO, MD NTDC and senior officials of concerned departments.