Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has said that the rate of electricity units has been increased owing to increse in the international oil price and also due to non-payment of the utility bills by a large number of consumers.

"We will expedite action against the factories, mills and other private consumers who are stealing the electricity and by doing this they are harming the country's economy," said the minister while talking to media during his visit to rain and flood hit areas of Tando Muhammad Khan on Saturday evening.

Qamar said the subsidy of Rs300 billion provided to the power sector was only second to the budget amount allocated for the country's defence.

"While the nation bears the brunt of this subsidy, comparatively smaller number of people reap benefits from it," he said while referring to the big power thieves.

When asked about the rancourous criticism of the government by Pakistan Muslim League (N) and its president Mian Nawaz Sharif, the federal minister said they want to remove the government because they were afraid of witnessing the Peoples Party's victory in the upcoming senate elections.

In the Charter of Democracy the two parties had agreed for taking parliamentary discourse for playing an effective opposition role, Qamar said adding that Sharif should wait until the next elections.

Talking about the flood situation, the minister said that the response by the foreign humanitarian organizations was far lower than what they did after floods in 2010.

"Perhaps they observed that the magnitude of the disaster was also comparatively lower," he added.

However, he assured the people of all possible support from the PPP government which is providing them financial support through BISP and Pakistan Cards in addition to the rehabilitation packages for the affected farmers.

During his visit, the federal minister pointed out areas where rain and flood water was still standing and asked the administration to ensure their prompt drainage to enable farmers for Rabi (winter) sowing.

DCO Barkat Ahmed Rizvi, PPP district president Haji Amin Lakho and Syed Qasim Navid Qamar, besides others, accompanied the minister.