Government May End Free Electricity for Bureaucrats, Judges, and Parliamentarians
The federal government is facing strong pressure to stop offering free electricity to government officials and agencies. In response, the Ministry of Energy is considering a plan to end these perks for bureaucrats, judges, and parliamentarians. The plan might also include stopping free petrol for these officials in the future. However, industries will still receive necessary support, and there’s a proposal to lower charges for factories. The performance of regulatory bodies like NEPRA and OGRA will also be reviewed to ensure they’re functioning well.
Meanwhile, on July 19, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a plan to provide free electricity to users who consume up to 100 units. He also proposed giving solar power systems to households that aren’t connected to the grid.
In a meeting in Karachi, officials, including Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, discussed how around 80,000 households using 50 megawatts monthly and 1.9 million households using 100 megawatts monthly would benefit from the free electricity plan. The first phase of the plan aims to provide solar home systems to 500,000 of the 2.6 million off-grid households.
This shows a contrast between the federal government’s plan to cut perks for officials and Sindh’s initiative to support low-income households and promote renewable energy.
