Punjab’s Power Play

THE recent announcement by the government in Punjab to provide relief of Rs14 per unit of electricity in the province for two months has sparked a lot of hue and cry across the country. There is no doubt that this measure will provide relief, though temporarily, to the masses who have been suffering from exorbitant prices of electricity and are forced to sell their valuables to pay their bills. The other provinces should follow suit rather than talking negatively about the step taken by Punjab.
Although the step in Punjab entails ad hoc relief, instead of any long-term plan to cut down the electricity prices, the objections raised by political friends and foes in the rest of the country do not seem well-intended.
This is probably because the major coalition partners had promised to provide free electricity up to 300 units during their election campaigns and are now under moral obligation to implement the same in their respective domains.
Another aspect of the relief package is the funding of Rs45 billion, which would be managed from the province’s own reso-urces by cutting the development budget. This is commendable as it will not burden the national exchequer. Instead of point-scoring, all the other provinces should follow the example set by Punjab. Taking such a step will help people in other provinces protect them-selves in these times of soaring inflation.
Haseeb Ali Quddusi
Lahore