Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari launching the application of PITC at Power Division in Islamabad - Photo PID  

 

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Power Division Awais Ahmed Leghari on Tuesday said after the completion of the mega hydel-power project of Neelum Jhelum, a total of 11,000-megawatt of electricity would be added to the national grid by June 2018 to overcome the issue of load-shedding.

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the government has given an excess of information to the public for maintaining transparency and provision of accurate information, Leghari said this during the launch ceremony of a mobile application 'Roshan Pakistan'.

The minister added the mobile application would give consumers access to vital information on billing and power supply situation.

He further said that feeder to feeder information would be collected for maintaining transparency and accountability in the country.

The minister also said that a consumer can get an update through this application regarding billing, net metering and feeder wise information about the supply of electricity and would also serve as a bill calculator.

According to the minister, this would also help to counter propaganda by elements with vested interests regarding the frequency of load-shedding in different areas of the country.

He said the app would also provide information about all the distribution companies in the country and any consumer can access it by entering his consumer number.

Replying to questions, the minister added the power division was proud that four thousand and five hundred megawatts surplus electricity was available in the national grid.

While answering questions, Leghari said during the next summer season, power generation would be in excess when compared to demand. 

He also said the problem of overbilling would be resolved once the law on the subject is passed by the Senate.

Elaborating on the law, he said it provides a punishment of three years imprisonment for overbilling and has already been passed by the National Assembly.

The federal minister said that with great effort, the government has been able to bridge the demand and supply gap and there was now enough power generation available to meet demand in the country.

All efforts would be made to curtail losses so that maximum number of consumers could be provided with uninterrupted electricity supply, stated the power division minister.