PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded the provincial government to supply electricity to all industrial estates on wheeling charges from different hydel power generation projects to promote industrialization in the province.
Praising the provincial government for giving priority to completion of hydel power generation projects in stipulated period, SCCI President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in a statement issued here on Friday welcomed the government decision to complete seven different hydel power generation projects by December this year. He hoped these projects would make the KP self-sufficient in energy and electricity would available to industries on cheapest/subsidized rate. However, he asked to supply electricity on wheeling charges to all industrial estates in the province on the pattern of Pehur Hydel Power Plant, through which electricity is being supplied on wheeling charges to more than five factories of Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate. The SCCI chief said the electricity, gas and other utilities are the lifeline for the industries, which should be supplied on a priority basis to promote industrialization in the province. He said the cheap electricity at the rate of Rs10.41 per unit from the Pehur Hydropower Project, is being supplied to five factories in GAIE from June 5, 2020 which has the total installed capacity of 18 megawatts. He said the government’s decision was highly appreciated by the business community and extended thanks to it. The SCCI president thanked Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, his adviser on Energy and Power, Himayatullah Khan, Secretary Energy Muhammad Zubair Khan and PEDO Chief Executive, Nisar Muhammad Khan for the efforts for implementation of the project which will ensure the cheapest electricity to industrial units in the province. Maqsood Pervaiz demanded that electricity should be supplied to all industrial estates on wheeling charges through different hydel power projects. He expressed the hope the provincial government would also provide electricity to industries from Malakand Hydel Power Project Phase-III, which has the total installed capacity of 81 megawatts by following its business-friendly policies.