Lahore High Court Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Friday directed the Ministry of Water and Power to present the audit report of Rs480 billion payment to private power producers of electricity.
The chief justice said the report should be signed by the audit conducted by auditor general and a private auditor.
The chief justice also sought details of the policy on controlling power theft.
The chief justice observed that power theft had not being controlled. He adjourned the hearing till February 21.
At a previous hearing, a joint secretary of the Ministry of Water and Power told the court that the federal government was taking steps to curtail supply of electricity from 650MW to 350MW to Karachi Electricity Supply Company from national grid because of three contractual defaults.
The court was hearing identical petitions against load shedding and over billing.
The petitioners submitted that the Supreme Court had already ordered for supply of gas for production of electricity but the directions were not obeyed, the petitioner said. He said the apex court had also ordered audit of Rs480 billion payment to the IPPs.
The petitioner said the government had paid the amount to its favourites among IPPs. He said respondents had failed to provide any relief to the public.
Stay against Lady Willingdon hospital demolition extended
Justice Abdul Sattar Asghar of the Lahore High Court on Friday extended till February 12 a stay order against demolition of a portion of Lady Willingdon Hospital to make way for a flyover at Azadi Chowk.
On Thursday, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan had refused to hear the petition, citing personal reasons.
On January 30, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry had stayed the demolition.
Young Doctors Association and PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid have filed the petitions.
They named the government, the special advisor to the chief minister on health, the health secretary, the director general of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, the LDA director general, the Archaeology Department director, the medical superintendent of Lady Willingdon Hospital and the Environment Protection Department as respondents.
The petitioners’ counsel had said the government was planning a fly over in the vicinity and would demolish a portion of the hospital for this purpose. He said the decision to demolish a part of the hospital violated Article 14, 10-A, 9, 24, 23, 19-A, 16, 15 and 25-A of the Constitution. He said the hospital was constructed on 120 kanals 83 years ago.
He said a USAID team had expressed interest in upgrading the hospital but the government had ignored it.
He said the government had not obtained a No Objection Certificate from the Environment Protection Department (EPD).
He said the demolition violated provisions of the Walled City Act 2012, Antiquities Act 1975, and the Punjab Special Premises Preservations 1985.
He said 500 people visited the 300-bed hospital daily and 14,000 children were born here every year. He said due to construction work at Azadi Chowk, roads leading to the hospital had been closed. He said this was inconveniencing hundreds of people. After hearing arguments, the judge directed the advocate general to ensure submission of replies on the next date of hearing.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2014.