PESHAWAR: KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the authorities of Energy and Power Department to ensure the completion of all hydro power projects as per the given time lines. He issued these directives while presiding over fourteenth meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hydel Development Fund here the other day, said an official news release issued here on Sunday.
Besides, reviewing progress on the decisions of the last board meeting, the forum approved revised budget of Hydel Development Fund for the fiscal year 2019-20 as well as budget estimates for the financial year 2020-21. Provincial Minister for Finance, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Special Assistant to CM on Energy and Power, Himayatullah Khan, Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary, Shakeel Qadir, Secretary Finance, Secretary Energy and Power, Chief Executive Officer, Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization, Managing Director, Bank of Khyber and other member of the board attended the meeting.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing about the ongoing and new developmental schemes of Energy and Power Sector and told that an amount of Rs. 11652 million have been allocated in the current budget for 21 ongoing schemes whereas Rs. 1281 million have been allocated for 19 new developmental schemes.
The meeting was further informed that a total revenue worth Rs. 31.194 billion had been collected from Malakand-3 Hydro Power Project and Pehur Hydro Power Station whereas a revenue of Rs. 2800 million has been added to the provincial exchequer during the financial year 2019-20.
Regarding the progress on various developmental schemes the forum was briefed that physical progress on the Jabori Hydro Power Project Mansehra was 94 percent, progress on Karora Hydro Power Project Shangla was 88 percent and progress on Hydro Power Project Lower Dir was 83 percent; and on completion these hydro power projects will have production capacity of 10.2 mega watt, 11.80 mega watt and 40.8 mega watt respectively.
It was further informed that 302 mini hydro power projects had been completed in various districts of the province, and handing/ taking over of 264 projects had also been completed. With regard to progress on solarization schemes, the meeting was informed that solarization of Chief Minister Secretariat and Civil Secretariat had been completed and similarly, solarization of 100 villages in southern and central districts of the province had been completed under the alternate energy resource scheme.
"Solarization of 300 mosques and worship places of minorities in the newly merged districts has been completed with a total cost of Rs. 183 millions"; it was informed and added that procurement process has been initiated for the solarization of 4000 mosques in settled districts of the province, and similarly, work is in progress on the solarization of 8000 schools and 187 Basic Health Units in the province.
Talking on this occasion the Chief Minister said that the provincial government was taking result oriented steps under a well devised strategy to effectively use the hydro power potentials of the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020