LAHORE, Dec 4: Minister for Water and Power Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said here on Thursday that the government would not let the people of lower-middle and middle segments of society be affected by a power tariff hike recommended by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra).

Talking to newsmen here, he said that although the government would act after reviewing Nepra recommendations, one thing was sure that the two segments of society would be protected.

In reply to a question, he said the government got some relief from reduction in oil price in the international market but it was recovering the money that it had spent on (subsidising) power supply when price had gone up three-fold. Despite the financial crunch, the government had provided relief to the people by reducing electricity tariff and providing Rs117 billion subsidy to consumers, he added.

He said that in order to ensure cheap and smooth power supply, the government had taken up mega projects, including Bhasha, Kohala, Bunji and Dassu dams, Neelam-Jhelum and Thar coal power projects. About the stoppage of Chenab River water, he said Pakistan had registered its protest at every level with India. Pakistan, he said, had made it clear it would only accept water as compensation and was now awaiting India’s reply.

Talking about KESC’s dues, the minister said that circular debt was one of the major issues faced by the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), which the government had been trying to resolve amicably. The government hoped to resolve the issue soon, he said.

The minister directed Pepco’s managing director to adjust power bills of customers who paid their full dues when the controversy of overbilling cropped up and some of them ended up paying 40 per cent more.