Federal, KP govts agree to resolve core issues

PESHAWAR: The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments Friday decided to amicably resolve all outstanding issues.The decision was made at a meeting at the Pak Secretariat in Islamabad, said a handout issued here.
It said that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, who led a delegation comprising provincial ministers Shahram Khan Tarakai, Muzafar Said, Mohammad Atif, Mian Jamshiduddin Kakakhel and high-ranking officials called on Federal Ministers Khwaja Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Abid Sher Ali.
With regard to the power loadshedding, it was decided that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would first be given its share of electricity and then Pesco would distribute it among the areas on the basis of recovery of charges in close consultation with the provincial government.
It added that the provincial government would help the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) recover outstanding dues consumers and end power stealing.
The meeting also decided that a strategy for controlling loadshedding would be finalised in the presence of Federal Minister for Water and Power (Wapda) Khwaja Mohammad Asif, who would visit Peshawar for the purpose on May 26.
It added that the federal minister directed the authorities concerned to provide transformers and electricity connections to various public sector organisations like schools, colleges, irrigation and public health.
The federal minister said the demands of the provincial government should be fulfilled on urgent basis. It said the federal government also assured that KP would be supported and private entrepreneurs encouraged investing in the hydro power generation projects already planned by the provincial government.
It was also agreed that work on the construction of Munda Dam would be expedited and proposal of KP government for constructing two barrages on Swat River would be considered.The communiqué said a number of parameters were fixed to ensure that regular payment of the outstanding dues of the net hydel profit was made.
It said the federal and provincial governments as well as Wapda would remain in close contact to resolve this longstanding issue once and for all.It was decided the authorities would jointly prepare cases for the collection and payment of federal duty of on oil, payment of windfall levy on oil and gas to the provinces in terms of petroleum policy, 2012.
In respect of payment against the use of additional water of KP by other provinces, it was decided that its details would be worked out with the IRSA or Indus River System Authority. It was also agreed that the share of the province would be increased in federal Public Sector Development Programme and all efforts would be made to ensure its timely, regular and full release in future.