Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Power, chaired by Senator Mohsin Aziz, convened at Parliament House on September 20, 2024, to deliberate on significant concerns including overbilling and the indifference of officials to consumer complaints.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the meeting featured discussions on a complaint of public importance regarding the overbilling of electricity bills. Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan highlighted her family’s distressing experience with incorrect meter readings and the unsatisfactory response from the power department. She proposed referring the issue to the FIA to address what she described as mafia-like behavior in the system.
The committee acknowledged the gravity of the issues presented and discussed various solutions to improve customer service and operational efficiencies in the power sector. The Minister for Energy noted ongoing efforts to enhance the complaint system and stressed the need for substantive changes rather than mere staff transfers to address these systemic issues.
In addition, the committee examined the pricing of Bagasse-based Independent Power Producers (IPPs), discrepancies in feeder-wise electricity distribution, and the persistent problems of electricity theft and overbilling in various constituencies. The committee resolved to seek more detailed reports and systematic data to better tackle these challenges.