PESHAWAR: Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) have signed an agreement to start an internship program for fresh graduate engineers, said a press release issued here on Sunday.

Under the agreement, PEC registered newly qualified engineers will be given one year training in PEDO and pay Rs.30,000 per month a stipend jointly. The main objective of the program is to eliminate unemployment in the skilled class and to introduce skilled and trained engineers in the development process, which will usher in a new era of development in the industrial sector as well as in other sectors.

In this regard, a special ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between PEC and PEDO was held at PEDO House Peshawar. During the ceremony, Chief Executive PEDO Engineer Naeem Khan informed about the 32 years of achievements in the energy sector of PEDO, and said that PEDO is the most annual revenue generator for the province of more than 5 billion, which has completed 7 projects, from which a total of 161 MW of cheap electricity is being generated. While 7 more projects are in the final stages of completion, from which 224 MW will be generated, from which the province is expected to earn another 4 billion rupees. In the next ten years, PEDO’s income will be increased from Rs. 43 billion to 50 to 60 billion rupees. He declared PEDO as mini-Wapda and said that in a few years, PEDO will become the country’s largest energy entity.

Chairman, Pakistan Engineering Council Engr. Najeeb Haroon said that the technical sector is important in the development of the country and said that only engineers can get the country out of the current crisis. They cannot be ignored in any case. He appreciated the efforts of PEDO and PkHA for starting the internship program for engineers and termed it as a big step towards the elimination of unemployment.

The Managing Director (MD), PkHA Ahmed Nabi Sultan, Vice Chairman PEC Ijaz Ansari, Ex-Secretary C&W Engineer Zahid Arif and others also addressed the event.

In the event, Director Admin & HR. Idrees Khattak on behalf of PEDO and Engr. Nasir Khan on behalf of PEC signed the MoU. At the end of the ceremony, shields were distributed among the distinguished guests.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022