Gabral-Kalam project: government determined to exploit hydro power potential: Jatoi

Federal Minister for Water and Power, Liaquat Ali Jatoi has said that federal government is fully determined to exploit maximum hydel power potential of the country and would remove all hurdles in this regard.
He stated that the country was already facing shortage of power and with the completion of 101 MW Gabral-Kalam Hydroelectric power plant on Swat River would be added in the national grid and the electricity will be available on cheaper rates.
He made these observations while chairing a meeting to resolve the issues related to Gabral-Kalam Hydroelectric power project on Swat River here on Wednesday. Secretary and Adviser, Ministry of Water and Power, Managing Director, PPIB, Home Secretary Government of NWFP, CEO Swat Hydroelectric power project and senior officials of Ministry and PPIB attended the meeting, says a press release.
The minister directed that the NWFP government should remove all bottlenecks and resolve the community issues creating hurdles for investors, enabling the sponsors to resume their work at site.
Swat Hydropower Limited Chief Executive Officer (CEO) informed the meeting about the latest position and said that the project was being politicised by some local community leaders who were creating law and order situation which caused delays of more than one year. He requested Federal and Provincial Governments to solve the problem enabling them to resume work.
Secretary (Home), Government of NWFP apprised the Minister about the measures taken so far by the provincial government in this respect and assured the meeting that every possible assistance would be provided to the sponsors of Swat Hydropower Limited.-PR