Unnecessary, costly DISCOs Board meetings, AG Office want records

ISLAMABAD Oct 22 (Online): The expenditure of millions of rupees on unnecessary meetings of Discos Board, Auditor General Office has called for all the records.

Standing Committee Energy also seems unhappy with the performance of the board members.

Instead of including experts in the boards of electricity distribution companies, which were formed to improve the performance of the DISCOs, the appointment of members on political grounds has made them a huge financial burden for the DISCOs.

28.4 million rupees were spent on the meetings of HESCO and FESCO boards and the DISCOs could not get any benefit.

According to the documents released by the Auditor General, expenses of 24.1 million rupees have been incurred on the meetings of HESCO board members, while no decisions have been taken in these meetings to improve the performance of the discos.

According to the documents, the HESCO board meeting was called 7 days before without issuing the agenda and the expenses in excess of the budget allocated for the board have been incurred while the board has also failed to take steps to get the company out of losses.

Board members of Faisalabad Electric Supply Corporation (FESCO) started holding two two meetings on same day without any agenda and millions of rupees were received in the name of TADA, about which the Auditor General Office requested all the record.

It should be noted that the Senate Standing Committee on Energy has also expressed its serious concern over the poor performance of the boards of DISCOs and many questions have been raised in the meeting regarding the qualifications of the board members.

Regarding the performance of the boards, a bill is also being introduced by Senator Bahramand Tangi in the upcoming session of the Senate, the purpose of which is to determine the eligibility criteria for the appointment of board members.