- Message seeks explanation of tripling wages without Govt’s approval.
- The Senate Committee reviews Nepra’s unauthorized pay rise.
- Cabinet Secretary says hike violates the NEPRA ACT’s section 8.
Islamabad: The Federal Government has issued a message of showing the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) for unilateral rising wages without approval.
During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chairman of Rana Mahmood-Ul-Hassan, government officials confirmed that Nepra had been preached to the announcement of the unauthorized wage increase.
The chairman and members of the National Power Regulating Authority had almost tripled their wages without getting the necessary approval from the federal cabinet.
According to sources, any salary increase requires cabinet approval, but Nepra officials are bypassing this process and raised wages with RS2 million to RS2.2 million.
Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal said Nepra had been asked to give the reasons for the salary increase. He added that the increase violated section 8 of the Nepra Act and the authority must submit a written explanation of its decision.
Afzal also emphasized that all regulatory bodies fall under the prime minister’s or the federal cabinet.
The increase was implemented under the pretext of ad hoc placement and regulatory quotas. A revised notification issued in October 2023 set the total salary and benefits of RS1 million.
According to the sources, the NEPRA chairman and all four members fall under MP-I Pay Scale. Following the increase, the chairman’s salary has exceeded RS3.2 million, while the four members now receive up to RS2.9 million each.
Talking to Pakinomist News On Tuesday, former Nepra chairman Tauseef H Farooqi said that during his term of office, which lasted until August 2023, his total monthly salary was RS790,000. He added that Nepra members at that time received RS740,000 per year. Month.
Farooqi said that only the federal cabinet had authority to approve wage increases for Nepra officials.
