AJK is not defaulter of Wapda, says Nawaz

MUZAFFARABAD (SANA): Azad Jammu and Kashmir Senior Minister and Minister for Power Malik Muhammad Nawaz khan on Tuesday has said that AJK is not defaulter of the Wapda and the department of Electricity has already paid all dues to the Wapda in time.

In a statement issued by the public relations department of the government of AJK, the Minister maintained that the department of electricity is not to make any payment.

According to the signed agreement between the government of AJ&K and Wapda, the tariff of electricity is to be provided to government of AJK by the Finance Division of Pakistan, in bulk was fixed and government of AJ&K then has to pay to Wapda.

The agreement contains all the details regarding the issues of tariff and determining the future matters related to any payment to Wapda.

Up to February 2007, regular payments were made to the Wapda by government of AJK but it (WAPDA) started issuing the increased bill after February 2007, without taking government of AJK on board although department of electricity of the government of AJK continued paying dues settled under the agreement in accordance with the funds released by Finance Division of Pakistan.

A sub committee had been nominated in an agreement on Mangla raising project to settle the matters regarding tariff between the government of AJK and Wapda and currently the same matter is subjected to the jurisdiction of the mentioned body.

Finance Division of Pakistan will release the funds after the decision of the committee on tariff settlement issues and department is bound to pay to Wapda as per decision. Moreover, the department of electricity had paid the dues of July, August, September 2009, in advance in June 2009. Department of electricity regularly pays dues on 27th of each month.

As for as dues, towards government of AJK with increased tariff by Wapda are concerned, are not payable unless sub-committee constituted by government of Pakistan fixes the tariff.