Steps being taken to improve electricity system in merged districts: official

PESHAWAR: The government was taking numerous steps for the development of tribal people and several projects were being executed to improve the electricity system in the merged districts, an official said on Thursday.

Secretary Energy and Power Mohammad Zubair Khan told a meeting that under the upcoming annual development programme, approval has been given to start four major electricity projects in merged districts, which would improve the power transmission system and reduce loadshedding.

“To make it possible to supply electricity to commercial centres in tribal districts, 1.5 MW 7 mini-solar grids and 900 mosques and places of worship have been converted to solar energy, while another 3050 mosques are being solarized,” he added.

He further said that the recovery of electricity bills in these districts is very low, for which TESCO has worked to a great extent on meterization from the provincial annual development funds, AIP funds and USAID funds.

Earlier, the secretary was briefed by the Chief Executive Officer of Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (TESCO) Qazi Mohammad Tahir.“Several projects have been completed to bring the electricity transmission system in line with the modern requirements in the merged tribal districts and the process of meterization is going on rapidly to integrate the electricity infrastructure and billing system,” it was informed.

Muhammad Tahir said that in the integrated seven districts and 6 FRs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TESCO currently has a total of 447,538 electricity consumers, including 407,196 household consumers, where electricity is being provided to consumers through different feeders through 35 grid stations.

The secretary Energy and Power assured the CEO TESCO that the Energy Department would continue its cooperation for the improvement of the electricity system in the merged tribal districts.