Government has plan to eradicate loadshedding, low tariffs 2014 onwards: Khursheed Shah

Says programmes are in progress which would add 1800 MW to the grid.

MULTAN: There will be no electricity load shedding and low electricity tariffs will be introduced in 2014 said Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Shah while talking to media in Jahanian on Friday.

The Minister was visiting Jahanian where he was to offer condolences over the death MNA Iftikhar Nazeer Randhawa.

He said that the government has planned to completely eradicate load shedding on a permanent basis from the country. At the same time, he said, that the PPP has devised policies to control the rates of electricity in the country. He said that projects which would produce 3500 megawatts are nearly complete and will subsequently lessen loadshedding and boost industrial development in the country.

Government has already signed projects which will generate 1800 megawatts in the country after their completion. He said that no government in the history had worked to devise such policies for generating power and addressing energy crisis in the country before. He said that supreme priority has been given to the energy crisis in the next budget which will definitely be presented by the incumbent government.

Talking about a Seraiki province, he said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has always talked about the real voice of the people of Pakistan. Shah said that Nawaz sharif must not take part in childish politics on the issue of provinces. The religious minister said exhorted Nawaz Sharif to realise the sensitivity of the issue and grievances of the people of southern Punjab only due to discriminated policies adopted by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz.

Responding to the issue of Bahawalpur province, Shah said that it was a drama created by Nawaz Sharif.

Shah was accompanied by MNAs Tasneem Ahmed Qureshi, Javed Iqbal Warraich, Amir Ghani and Abdul Qadir Gillani, the son of the prime minister.