Defying Prime Minister’s direction to release Rs 20 billion to reduce power outages in the country, finance ministry on Wednesday failed to release fund for the power generation resulting in up to 18 hours loadshedding,

it has learnt.0 has directed the ministry of Water and Power to arrange Rs 20 billion to reduce the unending power loadshedding in the country therefore the finance ministry has no link for releasing said amount for electricity generation”, said an official of finance ministry wishing not to be named. He further said that ministry of water and power has to recover huge amount from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and private sector defaulters and prime minister directed them to arrange funds from these sources.

However, sources in ministry of water and power said that prime minister directed the finance ministry to release Rs 20 billion immediately to control the unscheduled electricity in the country. They said that finance ministry failed to release the fund on Wednesday. “We cannot arrange funds from FBR and consumers in few days to control ongoing crisis as it is taking time”, he said. The sources said Water and Power Ministry has sought Rs 40 billion immediately from the Finance Ministry to deal with the alarming power situation and argued that without the funds the power sector will collapse.

The helpless masses are facing up to 18 hours loadshedding due to tag of war between two ministries. Power outages at present in cities are around 10-12 hours per day whereas rural areas are facing up to 18 hours loadshdding. The electricity shortfall could go up if government could not arrange funds for thermal power generation.

The finance ministry sources said, “The finance ministry has so far released Rs 278.2 billion subsidy for the power sector against the revised target of Rs 291 billion for the entire fiscal year 2012-13”. The ministry believed that it does not have fiscal space to release further subsidy.