PAC Directs DISCOs To Resolve Overbilling Issues

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday directed the Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to resolve the over-billing issues, keeping in view the hardships being faced by the consumers

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Mar, 2023 ) :The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday directed the Power Distribution Companies (DISCOs) to resolve the over-billing issues, keeping in view the hardships being faced by the consumers.

The meeting was chaired by PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan who urged the authorities concerned to sort out the issue of overcharging in electricity billing to provide relief to the people, who were confronting inconveniences in this regard.

The PAC directed the discos that Rs 9 billion should be given back to the consumers which were surcharged in the Neelam-Jehlum power project.

"Even I got an electricity bill with overcharging from the power distribution company concerned," the chairman apprised the members.

MNA Nuzhat Pathan advised the committee that the electricity bill should not be sent at the end of every month with a deadline of the last dates of the month as the salaried class cannot pay these bills on these dates.

The Secretary Energy Division apprised the committee that a total of 35 million consumers were consuming the power through meters. "We have constituted four members bench to send bills to the consumers and we want to increase our staff for sending bills at earlier dates of the month," he added.

He however said that this is a matter of fact that more resources will be required if we increase our staff.

Noor Alam Khan asked about the daily exact duration of forced load-shedding in the country on which the secretary informed the committee that there is a two-hour daily forced load-shedding across the country.

The PAC directed the relevant authorities to take prompt action against those officials involved in prolonged power suspension without any reason.

The PAC directed that the power division should take reforms and make legislation to streamline the system to yield desirous results.

Meanwhile, the PAC chairman said that nobody should level any allegations and criticize the national institutions without evidence. He directed that anti-state material should be removed from social networking websites immediately.

The PAC meeting was attended by MNAs Nuzhat Pathan, Shahid Akhar Ali, Wajiha Qamar, Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, Sheikh Rohale Asghar, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Senators Mushahid Hussain Sayed and Saleem Mandviwalla.