Govt employees get free electricity worth billions

ISLAMABAD: The Power Division is pushing for free electricity to be given to the employees of the government-owned power sector entities on the ground that it is part of their employment terms and conditions along with other benefits like medical care and accommodation.

This facility is quite huge, as 441.5 million units of electricity are provided every year free of cost to 200,000 employees of public and corporate sector entities.

Out of which 308.2 million units are for serving employees, while the retired employees get 133.2 million units.

Interestingly, as many as 149,000 employees working in different DISCO’s receive free units of electricity every year in their service package. The Power Division, in a written response to the National Assembly, has said that similar benefits  are prevalent among other public and corporate sector organizations such as Pakistan International Airline (PIA), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited cricket team (SNGPL),  Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Railways, and PTCL. 

It appears that the Power Division is trying to justify free electricity to its employees based on the occurrence of similar benefits based on the occurrence of similar benefits for organizations of similar nature.

However, it is ironical to note that NEPRA has opposed free units or monetization to employees of power sector entities and instead suggested that the employees be given utility allowance like other public sector organizations.