ISLAMABAD - The Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa government has accused the federal government of providing 25 percent less share of its electricity and claimed that the Centre owes billion of rupees to the province in this respect.
The provincial government is planning to approach the Supreme Court under article 184 of the Constitution to get its full share and the damages caused by the non-utilization of the 25 percent electricity, official sources told The Nation yesterday.
The total loss caused to KP by the electricity shortfall is about Rs80 billion, the source claimed.
Under the Power Generation Sharing Formula, the 13.5 percent of the national electricity goes to KP but the federal government is not providing the full share to the province, the source maintained, adding that the province is receiving only 10 percent electricity which is about 25 percent less from their allocated share.
“The power crisis is worsening due to the fact that the federal government is not providing the sufficient electricity to the province as per the allocation,” the source was of the view.
Earlier, the KP share was about 14.5 percent but later, with mutual understanding between the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, it was decreased to 13.5 percent.
“The PTI government has accepted the commitment regarding reduction in the province’s electricity share, made by their predecessor, but the federal government has now, unilaterally, further decreased this share,” the source claimed.
It is pertinent to mention here that KP is contributing 16 percent electricity to national power grid, while its rural areas are facing acute load management.
The source alleged that the federal government and Wapda are responsible for the on-going power crisis in the province.
The federal government and Wapda are always complaining about the electricity theft in KP but they will not tell the other part of the story. The transmission and distribution system of Wapda is too weak and old throughout the province that it cannot take the required electricity load.
For example, the 132 KV line between Swabi and Mardan is too old that it cannot transmit the demanded load. Ultimately, the residents of these areas are facing extended loadshedding and low voltage.
Similarly, the voltage in Swat, Haripur and southern districts of KP is too low due to the outdated grid stations and transmission lines.
“Though it is the responsibility of the central government, the KP government had offered to contribute money to improve the distribution system to resolve transmission problems,” the source maintained.
Similarly, the source alleged that some localities in rural district have not seen the Pesco meter readers since long and yet they are receiving the bills.