Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has formally awarded a contract of 84 megawatts Gorkin-Matiltan, Kalam District Swat Hydro Power Project of its own resources to CMC and GRC companies from Italy and Pakistan in a simple but impressive ceremony held at Peshawar on Thursday.
Under Energy Action Plan, the project will be completed at a cost of Rs 20 billion by 2020, which will annually produce 345GW electricity and the province will have an annual income of Rs 2.5 billion. Minister for Energy & Power and Education Muhammad Atif Khan was the chief guest in Contract Awarding Ceremony of the said project which was attended by Secretary Energy and Power Engr Naeem Khan, CEO Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) Akbar Ayub, reps of Italy and Pakistan Companies and experts of energy sector in a large number.
In his speech, Atif Khan said, "Today was a historic day that the KP Government is formally awarding contract of 84MW big hydro power project of its own resources." He added that the previous government in its tenure started hydro power projects of 56MW while the incumbent government would start 12 projects of about 1200MW, out of which five in public and seven in private sector. The private sector would invest $2 billion in energy sector, he informed.
The Minister for Energy maintained that in the first phase, projects of 214MW while in second phase projects of 300MW would be started in public sector. He announced that work on Lawi, Jabori, Karora and Machai hydropower projects would be started very soon. On completion of these projects, the province would get extra income of billions of rupees. He, on this occasion, assured full support on behalf of the provincial government to Italian and Pakistani companies.