MDI recording controversy : PESCO response to NEPRA

ISLAMABAD: Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has rejected the assertions of NEPRA about recording of MDIs during few months which are mentioned in a Show Cause, Newzshewz has learnt reliably.
In response to the Show Cause issued by the Registrar NEPRA, PESCO stated that it has taken the observations raised by the Authority with utmost seriousness and sent a detailed response.
According to the Disco, it is very important to mention that proper monitoring of MDI is in place, rather almost all the high end industrial / commercial consumers are installed with AMR meters which allow the facility of checking / monitoring MDI reading on hourly basis as well. The required actions are communicated immediately to the concerned field formations for adopting corrective measures on priority basis e.g. exceeding MDI cases, suspicious CT/PT cut cases, pending unit cases and wrong application of multiplying factors etc.
The Company has further stated that monitoring of MDI/ sanctioned load of industrial consumers is a continuous process, as and when the MDI of these consumers exceeds sanctioned load, a notice is served upon them by the concerned Sub-Divisional Officer (Operation) Executive Engineer (Operation), PESCO for regularization of their extended load and in case of failure the supply of such consumers is disconnected.
As regarding the observation of the Authority regarding Industrial consumers having recorded load / MDI higher than their sanctioned load, PESCO has stated that after checking of record it has been observed that the number of such consumers having recorded load / MDI higher than their sanctioned load are far less than the numbers mentioned by the Inquiry Committee (IC).
The data of inquiry committee says that MDI for B-1 category of consumers in January, February and March was 289 whereas in April it was 361 and May 303, whereas PESCO’s data suggests 118 in January, 92 in February, 96 in March, 85 in April, 82 in May and 93 in June.
According to Inquiry Committee data, MDI for B-2 was 895 in January, 912 February, 970 March, 876 April, 749 May and 896 June. However, PESCO claims that MDI was 537 in January, 583 February, 586 March, 562 April, 511 May and 504 June.
The Inquiry Committee stated that MDI of B-3 category was 11 in Jan, February 12, March 9, April 9, May 12, June 8 but PESCO claims that it was 5 in January, February, 4 March, 5 April, 4 May and 5 June.
During checking / scrutiny of data, it has been observed that the Inquiry Committee has mentioned all such cases of exceeding MDI, whereas most of the cases are mere instances of exceeding MDI recorded in a month or so as evident from the above data.
As for as wrong or higher than actual MDI recording against the consumer and as a result charging of excessive fix charges due to the new criteria for charging of fix charges based on last 60 x months, PESCO said that it has taken up the issue with PITC Lahore for correction of MDI history on Master File and as such the consumers will have not to face financial losses as mentioned in the Inquiry Committee Report.
PESCO, in its letter has deeply regretted the lapses highlighted in the report of the Inquiry Committee and assures the Authority of its commitment to compliance and requests that the Show Cause notice issued to it be withdrawn keeping in view the facts shared by it. Ends