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KP CM asks federal govt to pay Rs65 bn net hydel profit

By Our Correspondent
January 17, 2019

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has asked the federal government to clear Rs65 billion, the net hydel profit arrears and the share of the province.

He was addressing a meeting at the Chief Minister s Secretariat, said an official handout. Arbab Shehzad, advisor to the prime minister, Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan, Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Provincial government Spokesperson Ajmal Khan Wazir, Special Assistant to CM Kamran Bangash, Special Assistant to CM Hamayatullah, Additional Chief Secretary Shehzad Banagash, administrative secretaries attended the meeting.

Highlighting the urgency to clear the net hydel profit and the arrears which stand at Rs65 billion, the chief minister said the provincial government was committed to launching a comprehensive development and welfare plan to facilitate the people.

Mahmood Khan expressed the commitment to initiate and boost trade and economic activities in the newly merged districts. Therefore, he said, the KP government would take up the issue of the financial transfers to the province with the federal government.

He called upon the federal government to resolve the basic issues related to the overall reforms and development of the province. The chief minister said his government was going all out for the expeditious development of the province and welfare of the people.

Arbab Shehzad assured to resolve the issue of the net hydel profit arrears and share of the province at the federal level. The meeting agreed to the transfers of the resources for the newly merged districts.

The participants of the meeting suggested wrapping up the unnecessary check-posts on the trade routes and the issues hindering the trade and economic activities at Torkham, Ghulam Khan and Angor Adda, the border area adjacent to Afghanistan.

The meeting agreed to take up the facilitation of foreign investors to open accounts in the commercial banks in the province in the next meeting at the federal level. The chief minister underlined the need for resolving the issues hindering the trade activities in the border areas. He added that the extension of facilities in the newly merged districts would boost the trade and commerce and ultimately contribute to the overall promotion of the tourism industry in the province. The meeting discussed the land acquisition for the Dassu hydel power project which would be taken up in the next week meeting at the federal level.

Mahmood Khan termed Dassu Dam the most suitable hydro project that would generate 4000 megawatts of electricity. The meeting was briefed about the expansion of the land computerisation process to the entire province, the posting of special judges for the accelerated redressal of commercial disputes and enhancing the numerical strength of the judges.

The participants were informed about the rationalization of expenditures and revision of annual development plan. The efficient human resource audit and reduction in the non-salaried expenditures would save up to Rs4 billion. The pension cases were being digitalised, tax and e-payment being facilitated and the token tax was being replaced by a suitable system.

The meeting agreed to spend the electricity-related recoveries back on the improvement of power transmission and distribution system in the province. The campaign against the power theft was appreciated and a committee was formed for improving the revenue generation.