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Tuesday March 19, 2024

215 MWs power generation projects in progress, KP Assembly told

By Nisar Mahmood
March 19, 2019

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was told on Monday that a total of 215 megawatts hydel power generation projects were in progress in the province and would be completed phase-wise till 2022.

During the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a small hydel power projects of 67.2 megawatt was completed while projects of 91 megawatts were completed during the Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) coalition setup, Advisor to the chief minister, Ziaullah Afridi, informed the House.

Winding up the debate on electricity and gas problems, he said Rs20 billion of the hydel net profit had been received from the centre and Rs36 billion more would also be released.

He added that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Development Company Limited was working on oil and gas exploration schemes.

The adviser said that oil production in the province had reached 50,000 barrels that was 50 percent of the country’s whole production.

He said the provincial government would invite federal Minister for Power Umar Ayub and Minister for Oil and Gas Ghulam Sarwar Khan to hold a meeting with members from both the treasury and opposition over the electricity and gas issues. Advisor to the chief minister, Ziaullah Afridi said the constituencies of the treasury members were also facing problems of overbilling, loadshedding, low voltage and low pressure of gas but they were not making a hue and cry like the opposition.

Earlier, initiating the debate on the issue, Inayatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said that gas consumers had received inflated bills.

He asked for details about the directives of the prime minister about returning the amount of overbilling to the consumers.

He said he had received a bill of Rs43,000 and the bill of opposition leader was also about one and a half lakh.

The Jamaat-e-Islami MPA said the government had increased gas tariff by 100 percent and there were reports of more increase of 40 percent while loadshedding of electricity in areas like Malakand and Hazara divisions was above 22 hours a day despite the fact consumers in these areas were paying 100 percent bills.

Inayatullah said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produced more electricity than its consumption while gas production in the province was 400 to 450 mmcf against its consumption of 250 to 300 mmcf but consumers in the province were facing gas and electricity loadshedding.In his speech, Sahibzada Sanaullah of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said consumers in Dir were facing 22 hours electricity loadshedding but received inflated bills regularly.

He complained there was a shortage of staff and transmission lines were also outdated.

Sahibzada Sanaullah of Pakistan People’s Party said it was ironic that majority of elected public representatives in the national and provincial assemblies, especially from Lower Dir belonged to the ruling PTI but they never raised voice for the problems of consumers.

He also complained of non-release of uplift funds to the opposition members and threatened to stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister House in Peshawar if injustice was done in funds allocation.

Khushdil Khan of Awami National Party complained of excessive power outages and overbilling of gas and electricity.

He said that how loadshedding of 18 hours could be justified in a province that was generating hydel power double than its consumption.

Khushdil Khan of Awami National Party said that taxes in bills like Neelam Jhelum surcharge, TV fee and meter rent were an extra burden on consumers in KP.

Khushdil Khan of Awami National Party said the Peshawar Electric Supply Company had failed to address the problems being faced by the consumers.

Bahadur Khan of Awami National Party from Lower Dir, Malik Zafar Azam from Karak, Waqar Khan from Swat, Awami National Party’s Salahuddin, Munawwar Khan of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Liaqat Zaman from Chitral, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Jamshed Khan Mohmand and Faisal Zaib from Shangla also complained of such problems in their areas and expressed anger over the government for multiplying problems of the people instead of providing any relief.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Urban Mass Transit (amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in the House before the speaker adjourned the session till 1:30 pm Tuesday (today).