2021 power breakdown: NEPRA slaps Rs50 million fine on NTDC

ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has imposed a fine of Rs50 million on National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) for a power breakdown across the country in January 2021, ARY NEWS reported.

Sharing details of the decision, the NEPRA said that the fine on NTDC was imposed over its failure to provide adequate electric supply on 9 January 2021. “The NTDC took 20 hours to fully restore electricity across the country,” it said.

The NEPRA added that it formed a body to probe the failure and action is now being initiated in light of the inquiry report. “The NTDC was given a show-cause notice and ample time to submit its response, however it failed to submit a satisfactory response,” the statement said.

The NEPRA further shared that it was also launching a separate legal action against other power plants with regard to the nation-wide power outage.

According to a report, soon after the power breakdown, the initial inquiry found that the major power breakdown that plunged the country into darkness could have been avoided if necessary measures were taken by officials at the Guddu Power Plant.

The power division while commenting on the matter said that the seven employees at the Guddu power plant were suspended after the outage and were asked to submit their written response within 15 days.

According to a notification issued, the Central Power Generation Company has suspended seven officials of Guddu Thermal Power Station on account of the negligence of duty which caused power failure across the country.

“Seven officials working under Plant Manager-III are hereby laced under suspension with immediate effect and until further orders, on account of the negligence of duty which caused power failure found in view of a preliminary inquiry,” reads the notification issued by Central Power Generation Company Limited.

The employees suspended in light of preliminary inquiry include Adl. Plant Manager Sohail Ahmed, Junior Engineer Deedar Channa, Foreman Ali Hassan Golo, Ayyaz Hussain Dahar Operator, Saeed Ahmed Operator, Attendants Siraj Ahmed Memom and Ilyas Ahmed.