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ABBOTTABAD, Sep 27 (APP):Peshawar High Court (PHC) Abbottabad bench Wednesday summoned a response from the Deputy Attorney General within 14 days, pertaining to the imposition of extra charges on electricity bills, the collection of hydel taxes in the Hazara region, grant of stay on electricity bills and the discontinuation of free electricity units.
The court after serving notices to the deputy attorney general KPK adjourned the hearing till the second week of October.
The PHC Abbottabad bench started hearing the joint writ petition of former Presidents of the High Court Bar Associations Abbottabad (HCBA) Sabir Tanoli advocate, District Bar Club (DBC) Abbottabad, Haripur, and Mansehra.
While talking to the media the former President of the HCBA Haji Sabir Tanoli Advocate said that after a huge increase in the taxes on the recommendations of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) another additional burden of 3.28 rupees per unit on electricity consumers has also been imposed.
He said that this additional charge is set to be borne by the public from April to October. Haji Sabir Tanoli Advocate also shed light on the substantial profits generated from the electricity sector, amounting to 37 billion rupees. Out of this, a staggering 22 billion rupees are paid monthly to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Furthermore, public representatives have a stake in these profits.
The plea presented to the Peshawar High Court Abbottabad Bench calls for the termination of agreements between the government and IPPs. Additionally, it requests the court’s intervention in discontinuing the free electricity unit, which is causing a monthly loss of 8 billion and 50 crores.
He said that the government has disbursed 160 billion rupees in dues to IPPs, while a sum of 90 billion dollars was supposed to be allocated for the Kala Bagh Dam. Haji Sabir revealed that consumers in the Hazara region are not subject to fuel tax on electricity, in accordance with Article 161 Sub-Clause 2, as decided in 1993 under the Constitution.
The plea suggests that the implementation of this tax should be entrusted to the provinces, potentially offering relief to the people of Hazara from additional taxation.