PM orders befitting punishment for officials overbilling power consumers

• PM Shehbaz Sharif chairs meeting on reforms in power sector. 
• Exemplary punishment should be given to corrupt officials: PM
• Premier orders expediting efforts regarding renewable energy.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the authorities concerned to take action against officials and personnel of the power distribution companies (DISCOs) involved in charging for "extra units" in the bills of electricity consumers.

The prime minister directed the power division to immediately suspend such officials of the DISCOs, and ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to launch an investigation against them. 

The directives came during a meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz on reforms in power sector and solarisation process, the PM Office said in statement.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Ali Pervaiz Malik and other senior officials. 

The prime minister said that exemplary punishment should be given to those officials who had included extra units in the monthly bills of consumers with their anti-public attitude, besides unmasking them who had sent extra units to the protected consumers category, using less than 200 units per month.

During the meeting, the premier directed the authorities concerned to accelerate efforts over renewable energy for power generation, adding that Pakistan could no longer afford to generate power on imported fuel.

He also expressed his resolve not to pass the buck to the poor segment of society of the wrong policies measures of the past.

The prime minister said that the consumers would get relief in their monthly bills after utilisation of affordable renewable energy resources for power generation.

He directed for immediate closure of dysfunctional government-run power units and those which had been producing expensive electricity.

The prime minister observed that the world was generating power by using renewable energy, adding in Pakistan, there was immense capacity to produce solar power.

He ordered taking of measures to tap solar energy potential on priority basis.