LHC orders consumers to pay electricity bills without fuel adjustment charges
Consumers received hiked bills of July due to fuel surcharge Khurram Dastagir
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered the power consumers to pay their electricity bills without fuel adjustment charges.
According to details, the high court was hearing a plea moved against a collection of fuel adjustment charges from the consumers in the electricity bills.
The plaintiff had stated that collection of the charges from the consumers will ultimately increase the power tariff and urged the court to nullify the decision of the federal government.
The Lahore High Court has also served notices to the federal government, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Lahore Electric Supply Power Company (LESCO) and others on the collection of FAC in the bills.
It merits mention that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that 17 million of the total power consumers will be exempted from paying the high fuel charges adjustment (FCA) in their electricity bills.
EARlier rotest demonstrations against the fuel price adjustment (FPA) and other taxes on the electricity bills that shocked most of the consumers this month continued in Lahore and other cities of the province on Tuesday.
The protesters burnt the electricity bills during the demonstrations and pledged not to deposit the payments until immediate withdrawal of the FPA and other taxes and issuance of new bills to them by the power distribution companies.
“Do whatever you want as we will not pay the bills till withdrawal of FPA charges and other unnecessary taxes. This all (FPA, taxes etc) has doubled our bills, making us unable to pay,” an angry protester said at a demonstration on the Abbott Road.
Meanwhile Federal Minister for Energy Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan on Wednesday said the power consumers across the country had received increased electricity bills due to the fuel surcharge of June which was added in the bills of July.
Addressing a press conference at the head office of K-Electric, the minister said although the consumers had utilized lesser electricity during July as compared to June, however, they received higher bills which included the surcharge of June.
Khurram Dastagir said despite crisis and challenges being faced by the government, it had been decided to provide relief to the masses in this regard. He announced that the fuel surcharge, added in the bills of July, had been abolished for the consumers of below 200 units. Those who had paid their bills would be given relief in their power bills in next month while those who haven’t paid would get their revised bills. Besides, the fuel surcharge for the agricultural consumers had also been abolished.
The minister announced that the fixed tax imposed on commercial meters would also be abolished from October.
He criticized Imran Khan led previous government for the increased power crisis in the country. During the tenure of Imran Khan, the projects of alternative energy were miserably neglected. No single megawatt production was done from any source of alternative energy during the tenure of previous government, he expressed.
He said the incumbent government had focused on the alternative energy and soon power production would start from Thar coal. The government is working to ensure provision of uninterrupted and affordable power supply to the consumers across the country, he added.
Khurram Dastagir said that efforts were also underway to modernize the power distribution companies under the vision of Prime Minister.
He said that the companies had been asked to ensure rapid installation of meters, resolution of complaints of consumers and prevention of power thefts on modern lines.
The minister said Imran Khan continuously lied to the nation that there wasn’t any shortfall of electricity. Infact, he clarified, the power production was much lesser than its demand. He said that the country’s power supply was dependent on outdated plants running on expensive furnace oil.
To a question, the minister replied that restructuring of NEPRA was underway. The regulatory body during the tenure of previous government was not working on its primary function that is revision of rates, he said.
To another question, he answered that unfortunately privatization of K-Electric didn’t deliver the required results, however, efforts were initiated to improve its working for the desired results.
