KARACHI, Jul 11 (APP):Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives discussed the issues of electricity load shedding in Karachi in a high level meeting on K-Electric, on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Governor’s House here on Saturday.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shehzad Qasim and Chairman NEPRA Tauseef Farooqi attended the meeting via video link, said a spokesperson to the Sindh Governor.
The meeting was also attended by National Assembly member Aftab Siddiqui, Sindh Assembly members Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Khurram Sher Zaman, Javed Hanif, Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar and K Electric officials.
The meeting discussed the matters related to unannounced load shedding, power transmission and other issues.
Briefing the meeting on the power crisis, the K Electric officials said that 2950 megawatt (MW) electricity was being supplied to the city and at present there was a shortfall of 250 MW in the city.
The Sindh Governor said that there should be one hour load shedding on the shortfall which is being reported by the K Electric officials but the city is experiencing 6 to 7 hours load shedding.
He further said that it was true that K-Electric had failed to fulfill its responsibility due to unannounced load shedding which was affecting industries and increasing unemployment.
He said that the federal government has surplus electricity and it can provide as much power as K-Electric needs but K-Electric cannot add more than 720 MW from the national grid to the power system as K-Electric has to increase the capacity of its system.
Federal Minister Asad Umar said that if there is a problem of gas pressure in Bin Qasim Power Plant, then the plant should be run on furnace oil. The Federal government is providing 4500 tons of furnace oil daily and can provide another 500 tons of furnace oil, he added.
He said that Bin Qasim Power plant can be run on furnace oil and by running Bin Qasim, 190 MW will be added to the system.
He added that K Electric will have to plan for the future, with Karachi’s pack demand at 3,500 to 3,600 MW, adding that K-Electric plans to add 2,150 MW to the system in the next three years.
The K-Electric officials said that by the summer of next year, 550 MW will be added to the system with the help of the national grid, 800 MW by April 2022 and another 800 MW in 2023.
Later, the Federal Minister Asad Umar along with Imran Ismail joined the participants of sit-in outside the K-Electric Office here and addressed to them.
Talking to media on the occasion, the Governor Sindh said that they have come here on the directives of the Prime Minister and some decisions have been taken in today’s meeting, which, will help overcome the power crisis and end unannounced load shedding in the city from tomorrow (July 11).
Speaking about the over-billing issue, he said that he will take this matter to NEPRA and Audit of the K-Electric will be performed by NEPRA and the money taken in terms of over-billing will be returned.
Later, the sit-in was ended on the assurances from the Sindh Governor and Federal Minister Asad Umar.