By: Adeel Alvi
KARACHI: Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in his letter to Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan on February 1 said that the proposed draft of National Electricity Policy 2021 (National Electric Policy, NEP) although formally submitted to the Sindh government. However, according to unofficial information, the recommendations and suggestions made by the Sindh government for inclusion in the draft have been fully incorporated in the final draft.
He asked how the policy of ignoring the recommendations and suggestions of Sindh, which can guarantee Pakistan’s energy needs, could be termed as a ‘national’ policy on electricity.
Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in his letter demanded that the recommendations and suggestions made by the Sindh government be included in the National Electricity Policy (NEP) and for this purpose a meeting of the competent forum, Council of Common Interests (CCI) is convened.
The National Electricity Policy 2021 should be formulated in consultation with all the provinces.
Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh said that in 2010 the federal government had declared Thar coal reserves as a special economic zone and a project of national security, so the same spirit should be used in the national power policy 2021.
Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh in his letter suggested that Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC) be given the role of a partner company of National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) so that the two companies could be merged by air. Electricity from solar parks and electricity from Thar coal can be utilized effectively by laying grids and transmission lines.
In his suggestions, Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh said that load shedding should be taken as a challenge and a solution should be presented in the National Electricity Policy 2021 to provide uninterrupted and uninterrupted supply of electricity to the citizens of the entire country.
He further wrote that priority should be given to agriculture and provision of clean drinking water in hydropower generation projects.
He termed the contents of paragraphs 5, 6 and 8 of the National Electricity Policy 2021 as unconstitutional and said that according to Article 160 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the revenue collected by the provincial government falls under the Provincial Consolidated Fund and it is only. The provincial assembly has the right to allow the spending of provincial consolidated funds through the provincial budget. He said that it is also unconstitutional to deduct at-source provincial revenue.
Attaching a revised draft of recommendations and suggestions given by the Sindh government, Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh along with his detailed letter said that a meeting of provincial energy ministers would be held soon to formulate the National Power Policy (NEP) 2021. Should be called aa soon as possible