The power consumers will be paying Rs600 million per month during this winter, for minimum two months, even without using electricity of a 412MW power plant to enable the government to divert gas supply to the textile industry of Punjab.
The consumers will have to bear the financial impact as a result of the government’s decision to pay Rs600m per month to 412MW Rousch Power Plant Limited (RPPL) — a South Punjab-based power plant for diversion of its fuel to the textile industry.
Under the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the foreign-funded power plant would be kept closed during winter and its 85mmcfd (million cubic feet per day) of gas would be diverted to Punjab’s textile units. The plant would keep getting capacity payments without any interruption to avoid litigation.
The amount will be made a part of the consumers’ power bills, although they would not be using the electricity.
Rousch is one of the most efficient power plants — among top 15 out of 78 plants — in the country that provides electricity to the government at about Rs4.5 per unit and usually helps keep average tariff on the lower side. About Rs2 per unit (kwh) is the capacity charge that would remain part of the consumer tariff.
According to an office memorandum, the ministry of water and power has been directed to prevail upon the management of Rousch to sign an agreement for gas diversion to textile industry. A decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has been invoked to this effect.
“The prime minister has been pleased to direct that the Gas Allocation Mechanism adopted last year is to be replicated in toto in the current year to ensure balance of supply position between energy sector, industry and domestic/commercial consumers,” said an official notification.
