Govt Freezes Monetized Cost of Electricity for Senior WAPDA Employees

Islamabad: The power division has officially announced a freeze on the monetized cost of free electricity units for senior employees of power companies and the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) at the current level for the foreseeable future.

In a notification released on Tuesday, the power division stated that the federal cabinet had granted approval for the monetization of free electricity units provided to employees of Wapda, former Wapda companies, including distribution companies (Discos), generation companies (Gencos), National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC), and Power Information Technology Company (PITC).

The cabinet also approved, on Oct 26, that “these rates shall remain the same for the future, and any changes therein shall require prior approval of the federal cabinet.” Consequently, the rates mentioned in the notification will remain unchanged.

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According to the notification, the electricity facility for in-service employees (BS-17 and above) of Wapda, Discos, Gencos, NTDC, and PITC has been monetized in the first phase after calculating the supply tariff issued on July 26, 2023, excluding taxes and duties.

Henceforth, employees in grade-17 and above entities will be responsible for paying the electricity bills issued by their respective Discos against the reference numbers already available with Discos.

The notification further outlines the monetized cost for different grades and entities, specifying the monthly allowances for employees based on their entitlements to free electricity units.

For example, grade-17 employees in Discos and Wapda, entitled to 450 units per month, will now be paid Rs15,858 per month, while their counterparts in Gencos, entitled to 650 units, will receive Rs24,570.

Similarly, the notification details the monthly allowances for grade-18, grade-19, grade-20, and grade-21 employees in various entities based on their entitlements to free electricity units.