MULTAN
State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali declared on Monday that an eight-member committee had been constituted to settle all overbilling complaints within 15 days with the consultation of Kissan Ittehad.
He announced this while addressing a news conference here at the Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) headquarters. He issued order for correction of bills and replacement of electricity meters of tube-well consumers within 15 days besides permitting payment of bills of tube-wells in four instalments. He said that the farmer-friendly government had decided to take all out measures to facilitate poor growers. He said that the government had decreased the ratio of GST on tractors to 10 per cent from 16. He disclosed that he had directed the administration of Mepco to invite all groups of Kissan Ittehad and hold dialogue with them to resolve all issues in a well manner.
He told the journalists that system upgradation, recovery and cutting line losses stood at the top of priority of government. He added that the Chief Executive Officers of distribution companies had been tasked to monitor grid stations while monitoring at feeder level had also be initiated. He told the journalists that the Prime Minister had issued order for doing loadshedding in zero hours but current distribution system could not supply 19,000 megawatt.
Referring to Mepco, he said that the demand at Mepco was 3,000 megawatt while company’s distribution system could not supply even 26,00 megawatt. He pointed out that the Mepco distribution system contained 144,000 distribution transformers out of which 60 per cent were overloaded. 
Giving details of government’s performance, he said that the current government constructed 25 grid stations in just 11 months while steps were being taken to further upgrade the distribution system. He warned that the system would be shattered if the load of supply of 16000 megawatt was put on it. “Despite this situation, we’ll supply 80 to 85 per cent electricity through the existing infrastructure during Ramazan,” he declared. He added that power supply during sehr, iftar and taraweh would be ensured in line with the direction of prime minister.
Answering a question, he said that accountability had been launched to eliminate corruption from power sector. Citing an example, he said that the former government bought a power transformer at Rs550,000 while the current government purchased it against Rs350,000 which was a big example of transparency. He declared that accountability would be carried out in all distribution companies and loadshedding would be monitored.