World Bank has agreed to extend financial support in energy sector to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by constructing three hydropower projects in Upper Dir and Swat districts. The development will not only bring a heavy investment to KP, but also prove as prime source of creating new job opportunities in the province. These power projects will also add billions of revenue annually to provincial exchequer.
In this context, a high level meeting was held between World Bank energy specialist Dr Rikard Liden and senior energy specialist Mohammad Saqib under the chairmanship of CM KP advisor on energy Himayat ullah Khan. The meeting was also attended by secretary energy Mohammad Salim Khan, PESCO Chief Amjad Ali Khan, CEO PEDO Engr Zainullah Shah, Secretary SMBR Qaiser Khan, GM Hydel Bahadur Shah and Director PESCO Habib Khan Marwat.
The meeting was informed that the WB will provide $200 million financial support for three projects i.e. 22 MW Patrak Shringal hydropower project, 47 MW Barikot HPP and 88 MW Gabral Kalam HPP. These projects will totally generate 157MW electricity and will be completed by 2025. The team leader of WB mission Dr Rikard Liden stated that the bank is engaged in various activities on social development in Pakistan. He expressed his hope for active support of district administration of Kohistan and provincial government for removing obstacles while implementing its Dasu HPP.
Adviser to CM on Energy, Himayat ullah Khan and Secretary Energy Salim Khan have expressed their pleasure over extending of financial support by the WB for implementing power projects in KP and stressed for building up provincial owned transmission & distribution system. He further assured the WB mission of having full support of district Kohistan administration and provincial government.