The Senate Standing Committee on Planning, Development and Reforms was informed Monday that federal government did not launch even a single energy project out of 15 CPEC-energy priority projects of 10,350 MW on the western route. Secretary Planning, Development and Reforms and high officials of Ministry of Water and Power confirmed when Senator Usman Kakar raised question in the meeting about energy project on the western route. The committee met with Senator Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (Retd) in the chair at Parliament Lodges.
The committee discussed the CPEC projects and utilisation of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2016-17. Senator Usman Kakar claimed that China has 80 percent project of Gwadar, 19 percent of Punjab and only 1 percent of Balochistan. He said there are only water projects in one percent. He said that there is no railway project under CPEC for Balochistan.
He said that we are giving tax of billion rupees under Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) but federal government did not launch any development project for gas facility for the people of Balochistan. He said that that there is also good quality of coal in Balochistan and federal government should start coal project in the province. The Secretary Planning said that federal government will cooperate with Balochistan government if it prepares feasibility study to launch coal project.
The committee chairman said that the government should be careful about the CPEC projects by keeping in view the national interest. We have to prefer the interest of our people in terms and conditions of the agreements with China. Senator Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail said that we are not against the CPEC but the government should take steps so that the nation is not divided over CPEC. He said that only one project has been launched on the western route with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
While briefing Lahore-Matiari transmission line project under CPEC, the official of Ministry of Water and Power said that the project sponsors are actively pursuing the same. He said that recently NEPRA has approved tariff for the subject project. Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) has filed review petition on tariff in order to address the concerns of project sponsors. He said that the project is important and will be completed in 24 months after financial close.
About power plants at Gaddani under CPEC, he said that the project was promoted in order to seek Chinese investment. Keeping in view the poor response of investors the project could not take off, he said. About Quaid-e- Azam Solar Park in Punjab, he said that the project has not been scrapped. He said that the project is included under prioritised list of the CPEC projects. Out of 1,000 MW at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park 300 MW has been commissioned and for the rest of 700 MW investment is awaited on new tariff, he said.
He said that project of coal-fired power plant at Kallar Kahar was included under actively promoted list of the CPEC and a Chinese company CMEC conducted feasibility study for 300 MW at Kallar Kahar. But the Company abandoned the project based on feasibility study results, he said. He further said that work on three projects at Thar Coal namely Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company 1320 MW power plants and 3.8 mtpa mine, Sino Sindh Resources Pvt Ltd 1320 MW power plant and 6.5 mtpa Mine and Oracle Coal Mines Block VI and 1320 MW power plant will continue.
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