Summary seeks end to free electricity to govt employees

ISLAMABAD: The Minister of Energy, Power and Petroleum has sent a summary to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking to revoke the provision of free electricity worth over Rs25 billion annually to government employees.

According to the Ministry of Energy, the summary will be presented before the federal interim cabinet for approval.

The Ministry of Energy secretary confirmed to HUM News English that the ministry has sent recommendations to stop providing free electricity to government employees along with other suggestions. The ministry is now under pressure to make tough decisions, with recommendations included in the summary, he said.

According to the Ministry of Energy, more than 32,000 officers from various departments have been using free electricity, costing the national exchequer around Rs12 billion annually.

The summary also lists 3,000 judges and officials from lower and superior courts, along with 1,000 employees from the President’s House and 4,500 workers from the Prime Minister’s Office, who collectively consume Rs14 billion worth of electricity and gas, annually.

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Furthermore, employees of distribution companies, NTDCL and WAPDA, receive Rs8 billion worth of free electricity, benefiting more than 1,89,000 officers and employees.

The presidency allocates funds worth Rs800 million to provide electricity to 311 employees, while the Prime Minister’s Office disburses Rs140 million annually to provide free electricity to 445 employees.

This revelation comes in the context of the ongoing financial challenges faced by the government, which is struggling to manage its fiscal deficit.

The government is currently exploring various avenues to reduce expenditures and rationalise resource allocation to mitigate the country’s financial crisis.