Electricity added to national grid by present govt: NA told

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that ten thousand nine hundred and seventy three megawatts of cheap electricity has been added to the national grid by the present government over the last five years.Minister for Power Awais Leghari told the house during question hour that this generation as well as more power projects that are in the pipeline will gradually help reduce the power tariff.

He said that LNG based power plants are being completed in a record time which will provide cheap and reliable power to the system.The Minister said that load management is being carried out on high loss feeders in order to save the government kitty from paying for the theft.

Minister for Power Division Awais Leghari rejected the impression that the duration of power outages has increased in the country.  He said 5300 feeders where losses are less than ten percent are exempted from outages. He said power outages are only being carried out in areas where losses are high. He categorically stated that the government has succeeded in overcoming power shortages. Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat Raja Javed Ikhlas told the house that the federal government has taken notice of prolonged power outages in Karachi. He said a high level delegation has been sent to Karachi to sort out issues between K-Electric and the SSGC.

He pointed out that the K-electric owes billions of rupees to the gas company and if it clears the dues, the gas supply situation to the company will improve.In reply to a question of MNA Sobia Aslam, Parliamentary Secretary informed the house that Sui Southern have deficit of 8614 billion rupees in 2016-17, adding that the loss is yet to be verified. He further said that with reduction in UFG by OGRA, its approvals have been increased companies beard heavy losses.

The house was also informed that Nation Highway Authority (NHA) was issued over 6 trillion rupees in annual development funds from 2013. Grand Truck Road is not under the supervision of Ministry of Communication as NHA managed all matters of the construction and renovation of roads across the country.  From 2103, NHA constructed 2701 kilometers in Punjab, 2309 in Sindh, 1816 in Baluchistan and 877 kilometers in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The federal government also informed the house that NAB (National Accountbality Bureau) has registered 12162 cases till March 31 out of which 8144 inquiries have been completed while 4014 are still pending. 946 cases are pending against politicians, businessman and bureaucrats over BP20. 195 inquires have been completed while 144 are still pending.

According to Minister of Law and Justice Chaudhary Mehmood Bashir Virk  some 2438 cases were registered in last five years out of which 2084 inquires were completed and 354 are stilling pending.  The house today passed the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Bill, 2018.It was moved by Parliamentary Secretary for Interior Afzal Khan Dhandla.Members of MQM staged a token walk out from the house over the issue of prolonged power outages in Karachi.Two Ordinances were laid before the house on Thursday. These were: Anti-terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance and Protection of Economic Reforms (Amendment) Ordinance.

Minister for Education and Professional Training Baligh-ur-Rehman laid before the house The Institute of Science and Technology Bahawalpur Bill, 2018.