Oil, gas royalty for Kohat finalised

KARAK: A formula for the provision of gas to the remaining areas of Karak district and for the release of oil and gas royalty and its subsequent use was devised at a meeting between lawmakers of Kohat Division and adviser to chief minister on energy and power Himayatullah. This was stated by the Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel while speaking to media persons on Saturday.

Nisar Gul Kakakhel claimed that additional chief secretary, secretary finance, secretary energy and power departments and other senior officers also attended the meeting. He claimed that the majority demands of the lawmakers of Kohat division were accepted and deadlock was only on few demands which would also be heeded.

He added that oil and gas royalty funds of Kohat division of the current fiscal year 2018-19, which amounted to Rs2.4 billion, would be released soon while a formula would be also devised for the release of Rs5 billion oil and gas royalty of the last five years of the division.

He claimed that the meeting decided with consensus that MPAs would have say in the royalty funds and would be utilised in consultation with the MPAs. He added that gas would be provided to the remaining areas on their consultation. The lawmaker vowed to put the district on development track and added that the drinking water problem of the people would be resolved on priority basis.