Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pervez Khattak Monday, once again, knocked the door of Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Asif for the resolution of electricity issues of the province. The officials of Ministry of Water and Power and provincial government held a detailed discussion on the electricity-related issues presented to the federal government previously.
Informed sources told Business Recorder that the teams of Ministry of Water and Power and the provincial officials challenged each other on a number of claims and counter-claims. The KPK is facing a massive electricity load shedding in areas where recovery is negligible but the provincial government, as per federal government''s claims, is neither extending support to Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) in recovery; nor is it taking action against electricity pilferers. On the other hand, in some areas of KPK, transmission system is obsolete due to which consumers are facing low voltage.
According to an official statement, electricity distribution, transmission and other ongoing projects came under discussion during the meeting. The chief minister, sources said, was of the view that his province is facing 18 hours a day load shedding because provincial share in electricity is not being given to the KPK.
The sources said the chief minister on a couple of occasions during the meeting looked angry. The chief minister also complained that the federal government is not extending full co-operation, like GoP guarantee, to the province for new hydel power projects. The minister for water and power dispelled the impression, saying that electricity is not being transmitted to the province due to system constraints, adding the federal government is taking all-out steps to improve transmission system.
The federal government is confident that it would overcome power crisis in the country by 2018, the year of general elections. However, as the government has linked electricity supply to recovery of bill, the areas which don''t pay would continue to face load shedding even in 2018.
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