ISLAMABAD: The National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) is reportedly facing local resistance in equipment placement and installation in the grid station meant to supply electricity supply to Dhabeji SEZ, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
This was disclosed at a recent meeting on Dhabeji SEZ, a priority CPEC Project which is facing delays due to several reasons. The meeting chaired by Chief Executive Officer, SEZMC was attended by Chief Engineer (Project Delivery/GSC) South, NTDC and others.
The forum was briefed that to resolve the Right of Way (RoW) conflict a meeting was convened on January 27 2025 in the office of the Assistant Commissioner, Taluka Mirpur Sako, District Thana, with NTDC officials and local representatives.
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During this meeting the transmission line route from Tower No. 34 onward was finalized with the consensus of all stakeholders and the agreed route map was officially signed. However, despite these measures, execution work on the transmission line has not yet commenced. Chief Engineer, NTDC, responded that while the survey work for the transmission line route has been completed the design approval and issuance of drawings are still in progress. These activities are expected to be completed soon after which construction drawings will be received.
The Chair expressed serious concerns over the delay and stressed that the district and Taluka administration are currently supporting efforts to resolve the matter so that execution work can begin at the earliest. He stressed the importance of prioritizing excavation in a strategic order, ensuring that critical areas with local disputes are addressed first. Specifically, he directed that excavation should begin from the grid station towards the national highway in reverse order, ensuring smooth progress in the most sensitive zones. Furthermore, he instructed NTDC to issue an official letter to the district administration, providing an updated status of the project along with the planned start date, ensuring that all stakeholders are on board before work begins. In response the Chief Engineer, NTDC assured that the letter would be issued accordingly. The Chair also inquired about the updated progress on the grid station.
In response, Project Director EHV-Il, NTDC, Hyderabad stated that civil works on the grid station are in progress and grid equipment has arrived. The expected completion timeline for the grid station remains June 2025. However, he highlighted that local resistance during execution is causing challenges in equipment placement and installation.
The Chair directed Manager (Technical) SEZMC to coordinate with the district administration and SSP Thatta to ensure necessary facilitation and smooth execution of the project.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has already asked Chief Minister Sindh and Chief Secretary Sindh to complete development including all utilities by December 31, 2026 with maximum possible PSDP support.
The government of Sindh has also been directed to consider the existing PPP model of Dhabeji for making it more expeditious, efficient, attractive and cost effective to the investors.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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