PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has expressed displeasure of the slow pace of construction work on 300 megawatt (MW) Balakot (Mansehra) and 69 MW Lawi hydropower projects in Chitral and decided to issue a notice to the contractors of both projects.

The concerned contractor has been warned to take immediate steps to complete the project as soon as possible, otherwise any further delay is intolerable. In this connection, a special meeting was held under the chairmanship of Special Assistant to Chief Minister KP on Energy Engr. Tariq Sadozai and Secretary Energy and Power Muhammad Zubair Khan.

During the briefing, it was informed that the project will be completed with the financial support of Asian Development Bank (ADB) and AIIB i.e. Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank. Moreover, the completion of the project will earn an annual receipt of Rs. 15 billion to the province.

During the meeting Secretary Energy Muhammad Zubair Khan expressed his anger at the delay in the design and E&M work of the project by the Chinese construction company Gazoba China and the Turkish consultant company Dolsar team working on the projects.

While, SACM on Energy Tariq Sadozai urged the contractor, consultant and project director working on the project to speed up the work on dam site of the project and issued orders to start the construction work that was stopped at some places immediately.

Later, Secretary Power reprimanded the concerned project directors for the slowness of work on the Lawi HPP and warned that further delay in the energy projects is intolerable.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025