Punjab: Power tariff increase for industrial consumers stayed

[Naveed Yaseen]

THE Lahore High Court has restrained the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and electric distribution companies from implementing the increased tariff regarding industrial consumers till September 15.

Justice Hamid Ali Shah issued this order while hearing five identical petitions filed by APTMA and others.

The court further said that it had already passed the similar order in an earlier petition against LESCO, so all these petitions would be heard jointly on next hearing.

The petitioners, through their counsels Syed Ali Zafar, Mian Mehmood Rashid and others, pleaded that NEPRA determined the tariff on February 23, 2007 and made industrial consumers pay substantially higher rate of electricity. But despite enduring sufferings, other members of APTMA started making payment in the best national interest.

However just after 13 days of passing of tariff, the electric supply companies like LESCO, FESCO, GEPCO and MEPCO filed a review petition before the NEPRA.

The petitioners said the NEPRA did not have the review powers under the law but it proceeded with and accepted their review petitions without giving any notice to petitioners or their parent association APTMA. The petitioners argued that with the acceptance of review petitions on January 10, 2008, the tariff was hugely enhanced to the greatest disadvantage by clearing violating the principle “no one should be condemned unheard”. They pointed out that just one month after that increase, NEPRA again made a decision on February 12, 2008 and further increased the electricity tariff while acting under self-regulated and automatic mechanism called biannual adjustment.

Seven months later, the NEPRA further enhanced the tariff on August 22, 2008. They argued that NEPRA had violated the court’s order by making final determination of electricity tariff because LHC had granted stay in a similar case against LESCO.

They said their cases were at par with LESCO. They further argued that review order of January 10, 2008 was illegal and null and void.

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