Governor Tessori asks Sindh govt to provide relief in electricity bills like Punjab

Karachi: Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Sunday urged Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to provide relief in electricity bills similar to the subsidy announced by the Punjab government, fearing a "sense of despair" among the people of Sindh if relief is not granted.

At a press conference, Governor Tessori pointed to the relief offered in Punjab and urged the Sindh government to allocate funds for a similar initiative. "The Sindh Chief Minister should provide a Rs14 per unit relief in electricity bills, like Punjab," he stated, warning that failure to do so could create frustration among the people of Sindh.

Two days ago, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif announced a power subsidy for Punjab, providing relief to consumers using up to 500 units in their August and September bills. The announcement sparked criticism from other provinces, with leaders from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) criticizing the selective relief measures.

Tessori expressed concern about the damage caused by heavy rains in parts of Sindh, noting that many people had lost their homes due to the destruction. He announced that ration bags were being sent to the affected areas and that he planned to visit these regions soon.

Addressing rumors about provincial funds being used for events at the Governor House, Tessori clarified that no provincial government funds were spent on these functions. He also noted that the cash prize awarded to Arshad Nadeem, the gold medalist in Javelin Throw, did not involve any funds from the Sindh government.

Meanwhile, the federal government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, recently raised the base electricity tariff for domestic consumers to as much as Rs48.84 per unit.

However, consumers using up to 200 units per month have been exempted from this hike for the next three months. The increase follows the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) approval of a request from the federal government to raise tariffs by up to Rs7.12 per unit for domestic users across the country.