About 1500 megawatt electricity will be added to the national grid by December next year to overcome power shortage affecting the country's economic growth due to load shedding. This was stated by Minister for Water and Power Pervaiz Ashraf in reply to a question in National Assembly here on Friday.
He said that for establishing power generation projects, an investment of Rs 4 billion was expected in 2009. "The government has paid Rs 1 trillion as five years' pending dues to electricity producing companies during the last four months, while the IPPs have been paid Rs 100 billion during the same period", he said.
He said that it was totally wrong to say that 1500 mw electricity had been misused by Wapda in 2007-08, whereas the actual position was that total 0.184 million serving and retired employees and their widows were availing free supply in accordance with their entitlement. Total demand of Wapda employees availing the facility is only 43 mw, or 0.33 percent of the average demand of the whole Pepco system, which is 13,000 mw", the minister said. Ashraf told the House that the government had taken many steps regarding conservation of energy, and that had resulted in the saving of 500 mw.
Replying to another question, he said that the poor policy of the previous governments regarding improving infrastructure was the basic reason behind the power crisis. "Parliament is the biggest forum for accountability of such persons who did not fulfil their responsibilities with devotion", he added.
He said that to meet irrigation needs, the government has already started a project named 'Lower Indus Right Bank Irrigation and Drainage under the PSDP 2007-08' at cost of Rs 1481 million.
"To ensure the equitable distribution of water among the provinces, Irsa holds its Advisory Committee meetings at the start of each cropping season", he said.
The minister said, "It is true that no research centre for harnessing alternative energy has been established in Pakistan so far. However, Alternative Energy Development Board is working for the facilitation and promotion of renewable energy products through private firms.
"Due to increase in oil prices in the international market, the input costs have increased. Resultantly, the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) is facing a financial crunch, but in spite of this deteriorating situation, the government has not increased power tariff."
He told the House that within the next five years, 5000 mw power would be produced by using alternative means of energy as, according to estimation, 185 billion tons coal would be obtained from Thar for this purpose. "We will certainly construct small dams to resolve the power crisis while for the first time in the history of Pakistan a windmill would be established in Sindh in collaboration with a Turkish company", the minister said.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister for Information Technology (IT), responding to a question, said that total number of PTCL shares sold to Etisalat were 1326 million (23 percent) for $2598 million ($1.96 per share).
"As regards the method of payment, 50 percent amount was to be paid by Etisalat as first payment, and the rest is to be paid in $133 million per six month instalment", he said. He said that there were almost 8000-9000 employees of PTCL who were working on contract basis for the last 12 years. "This government has regularised these employees", he added.
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