KP govt declines taking over of PESCO; suggests provincialization of DISCOs.

PESHAWAR -- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declined the Federal government's proposal to take over the financial and administrative responsibilities of the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (PESCO) and urged the federation to take steps for provincialization of DISCOs.

In a letter written to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif by the Chief Minister KP and available with reporter, it was pointed out that PESCO was currently facing a huge shortfall of approximately Rs 200 billion per annum along with Rs 30 billion per annum in receivables.

At present, PESCO was enjoying a uniform national tariff due to the tariff differential subsidy which could be at risk if the existing structure of the power sector was altered, it said, adding that the KP province was under severe stress due to current law and order situation and militancy coupled with low economic and social indicators and could not take over PESCO.

The CM said that the proposal could be considered if power generation was handed over to KP along with the income from electricity...