CM Mahmood Khan asks NEPRA to consider KP projects for power generation

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has urged the National Electricity Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to include the hydropower projects of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in its power generation plan at the national level.

He said this while leading a team of the provincial government, which attended a hearing of NEPRA about the proposed plan through video link. NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooq chaired the meeting, said a handout. Other members of the team included Advisor to CM on Energy and Power Himayatullah Khan, Secretary Energy and Power Muhammad Zubair Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation, Naeem Khan and Barrister Asghar Khan. The chief minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had the potential to produce more than 30,000 megawatts electricity which could be utilized to overcome the issue of energy crises in the country. The provincial government team said the NEPRA had ignored hydropower projects of the province. The PEDO objected to it and reported the same to NEPRA being the competent forum for the approval of the plan. Consequently, the NEPRA issued directives to National Transmission and Dispatch Company to include the hydro projects of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the revised plan. It was added by the team that by then the PEDO provided details about its ongoing and upcoming new hydropower projects but in the revised plan in April, this year, the details provided by the provincial government were ignored once again. Resultantly, the PEDO, while rejecting the proposed plan, submitted comprehensive comments for consideration in this regard. The provincial team, in its effort to defend the rights of the province, voiced reservations over leaving out the hydropower projects in the proposed plan. It termed an injustice to the province and made it clear that it was not acceptable to the provincial government. The chief minister, who for the first time led his team in the hearing, demanded to include all the hydropower projects of the province in the proposed plan.

The NEPRA chairman, after listening to the concerns of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, assured the KP chief minister of serious consideration and necessary steps to include the KP projects in the revised plan.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan is visiting Hazara to inaugurate construction work on the roads in the three tourist spots in the division today. “The inauguration of construction work on the three roads in the tourist resorts envisages the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s keen interest in the promotion of tourism to generate revenue and create employment opportunities for the youth in the province,” said an official statement on Thursday. Chief Minister Mahmood Khan will visit Kaghan valley where he will inaugurate the construction work on the roads leading to three scenic valleys, including Mahnoor, Paparang and Shogran. The KP government has set aside Rs2,400 million in the Annual Development Programme 2019-20 for the roads construction in Hazara to promote tourism in the division. The construction of the three roads in various sites in Kaghan valley is part of the programme being undertaken as per the ADP plan.

The 15-kilometre road in Mahnoor valley would cost Rs686 million, the nine-kilometre road in Paparang valley Rs382 million while Rs353 million would be spent on the construction of 11-kilometre road leading to Shogran Valley. Meanwhile, the KP government is also preparing a plan for the construction of 370 kilometre link roads infrastructure in the tourist resorts of the province, which would boost tourism, generate revenue and provide opportunities for the youth of local populace. Similarly, the feasibility study has also been initiated for the establishment of the 10 integrated tourism zones in the Hazara and Malakand divisions.