KP cabinet okays power projects, wheat procurement

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has taken several decisions about energy production, education, food security, procurement of wheat and sustainable development.

The cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, approved the rehabilitation and restoration of the 17-megawatts (MW) Ranolia Hydropower Project in Lower Kohistan.

The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) had already approved the project at a cost of Rs8.1 billion with the condition that the same would be processed for the approval of the provincial cabinet for inclusion as non-ADP scheme, said an official communique.

The cabinet also approved the acquisition of 327 kanals of land for the 88 megawatts Gabral Kalam Hydropower project being financed by the World Bank in Swat district. The provision of the revision already existed in the approved PC-1 of the project. On commissioning, the project is expected to generate over Rs7.4 billion income per year for the province.

The additional compensation in respect of land and built-up property based on an independent valuation study for executing the 300 megawatts Balakot Hydropower project on Kunhar River in Mansehra.

The cabinet approved the shifting of manual registration books to automated motor vehicle registration smart cards. The Excise and Taxation Department had already signed a MoU with the National Security Printing Company (NSPC) of the Federal government for the provision of registration certificates and supply of smart cards in 2022. The rates of such registration and cards will be Rs574 as compared to Rs1475 of Islamabad, Rs530 Punjab and Rs1600 Sindh.

The meeting also approved the utilisation of the funds of the defunct FATA Development Authority, amounting to Rs500 million and the Rs43 million accumulated mark up over it under the accelerated implementation programme in the merged districts.

Small enterprises will be microfinance on an interest-free basis (Akhuwat Islamic Microfinance) from this revolving fund in the merged districts.

It also approved the acquisition of over 34 kanals of land for the construction of the Judicial Complex at Panakot in Upper Dir.

The cabinet approved the enactment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Registration of Godown Rules 2022 as required by the KP Godown Registration Act 2021.

After a threadbare discussion, the cabinet approved the procurement of 600,000 metric tonnes of wheat for the current year. The rate of 40kgs of wheat was fixed as Rs3900 just like the rate of the federal, Punjab and Balochistan governments.