The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owes a huge amount of Rs 410 billion to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) in head of net hydel profit (NHP). This has been stated in a written reply to a question of a legislator of the KP Assembly. The amount is outstanding arrears under AGN Qazi Formula for the last three financial years (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20).
In this connection, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in its 37th and 39th meetings held on 24.04.2018 and 24.09.2018 has constituted a committee. According to the Terms of References (TORs) of the said committee, it would have to fix the volume of the amount on the basis of AGN Qazi Formula.
The committee in its first meeting held on 26.10.2018 has decided the constitution of a technical committee that has been tasked to decide to fix the volume of the amount that is strictly on the basis of the AGN Qazi Formula. After holding three meetings the technical committee (sub-committee) has compiled a report after the passage of eight months that had made maximum efforts to make AGN Qazi Formula controversial.
The provincial government had dispatched its opinion over the report to federal government through the Chief Secretary. After the compilation of the sub-committee, the main committee has held three meetings, but the federal government has yet to take any decision. In this connection, the Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Adviser on Energy and Power have sent several dispatches requesting the federal government for sending the report of the committee to the Council of Common Interests.
According to provincial government, the federal government during 2018-19 has paid an amount of merely Rs 3.095 billion in head of net hydel profit so far to KP government and Rs 15 billion for the previous financial year of 2018-19 is still outstanding. To a question of the Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP, regarding the number of projects initiated in energy and power sectors during the period (2018-19), their capacity and their mode of implementation.
The answer of the question said that the provincial government during its previous stint in power has initiated work on six projects with its own resources under annual development programme (ADP) and Hydel Development Fund (HDF) in the province.
The projects are included 84MW Matlitan Hydropower Project, 69MW Lavi HPP, 40.8MW Koto HPP, 11.6MW Karora HPP, 10.2MW Jabori HPP and 335 Mini-Hydel Stations of 34.7 MW. These projects will cost Rs 58.608 billion. To another question of Sardar Hussain Babak regarding the solarization of mosques in the province and particularly in his constituency PK-22 Buner, the department has replied that the selection process of contractors is in progress and a total of 4000 mosques would be provided solar system.
Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) would provide a list of mosques to Energy and Power Department that has been distributed on the basis of population of the districts. The final selection would be made by the Chief Minister. To the question of the Khushdil Khan advocate of ANP regarding the management of the generation, transmission and distribution of the power by PEDO, the Energy and Power Department had replied that its all projects except 4,2MW Reshun Hydel Power Project are connected with the national grid.
The plant of the project was destroyed in the devastated flood of 2015 and presently WApda is supplying electricity to the area through its 33KV transmission line. Furthermore, as PEDO is operating its power houses through its own officers/staff so for the purpose, it had obtained the services of a contractor for its Operation and Management (O&M).
Furthermore, it has been told that PEDO has not constructed any micro grid station and the 277 micro-grid stations are providing electricity to the local population that is controlled by the local community themselves. However, it said that the provincial government intends to construct a 500KV Transmission Line to provide electricity to Chitral, its adjacent areas till Chakdara.