Project envisaging 1,000 micro power units stuck
K-P’s energy development body sitting on summary for two months
PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) has not yet forwarded the finalised summary for ‘access to energy’ project to Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for approval despite a passage of more than two months, it was learnt on Wednesday.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded ‘access to energy’ project includes construction of 1,000 micro hydropower projects on canals, rivers and tributaries and solarisation of over 8,000 Schools and 187 health facilities in the province.
Officials close to the matter said that PEDO has not sent the project’s PC-1 to CDWP, Islamabad for approval, which is mandatory for the project’s execution.
“If a project is foreign-funded or its cost exceeds Rs5 billion then its PC-1 should be approved by the CDWP,” an official of the K-P government close to the matter said.
ADB to provide Rs100m loan to acquire land for new ring road
The project is to be mainly financed from ADB’s $325 million loan approved for K-P and Punjab for access to clean energy programme, the official said requesting anonymity.
Its PC-1 was prepared in January 2017 and approved by the Provincial Development Working Party the same month, he added.
“Since January, the file has been lying on the table at PEDO and its officials are not sending it to CDWP for approval,” said the official. “The delay in the project would mean cost escalation and increase in loan commitment charges.”
The official added that the loan is “result based lending,” and the ADB would release 15 per cent in advance and then the remaining amount would be released upon the positive and satisfactory results of the project.
“If the project gets delayed the results will be affected,” the official said. “After the approval of CDWP, consultants will be hired, bidding process will take place to award the tender to contractors and this whole process will consume time.”
The official had objections over the feasibility report of the solarisation of schools saying that proper feasibility study needs to be done to find out the exact needs of every school and to examine whether each school’s infrastructure can support the system or not .
ADB approves $325m loan to connect off-grid areas in K-P, Punjab
“We have decided to install three fans and three lights in each room of a school and K-P elementary and secondary education department has shared complete data, including the number of rooms in the schools to be solarised,” he said.
The schools need to be examined for proper roofs and ceilings before installing the solar system.
PEDO Chief Executive Officer Akbar Ayub, however, refuted the information saying that their job was to prepare the PC-1 of the project and they have done it.
Ayub also said that the project’s PC-1 has been approved by the CDWP. The project is with the K-P Planning and Development Department and is being processed, he added.
“We are not looking at solarisation locally but globally to match standards,” he said. “We are looking at different sources to finance the project to ensure the quality of the project.”
The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO) has not yet forwarded the finalised summary for ‘access to energy’ project to Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for approval despite a passage of more than two months, it was learnt on Wednesday.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded ‘access to energy’ project includes construction of 1,000 micro hydropower projects on canals, rivers and tributaries and solarisation of over 8,000 Schools and 187 health facilities in the province.
Officials close to the matter said that PEDO has not sent the project’s PC-1 to CDWP, Islamabad for approval, which is mandatory for the project’s execution.
“If a project is foreign-funded or its cost exceeds Rs5 billion then its PC-1 should be approved by the CDWP,” an official of the K-P government close to the matter said.
ADB to provide Rs100m loan to acquire land for new ring road
The project is to be mainly financed from ADB’s $325 million loan approved for K-P and Punjab for access to clean energy programme, the official said requesting anonymity.
Its PC-1 was prepared in January 2017 and approved by the Provincial Development Working Party the same month, he added.
“Since January, the file has been lying on the table at PEDO and its officials are not sending it to CDWP for approval,” said the official. “The delay in the project would mean cost escalation and increase in loan commitment charges.”
The official added that the loan is “result based lending,” and the ADB would release 15 per cent in advance and then the remaining amount would be released upon the positive and satisfactory results of the project.
“If the project gets delayed the results will be affected,” the official said. “After the approval of CDWP, consultants will be hired, bidding process will take place to award the tender to contractors and this whole process will consume time.”
The official had objections over the feasibility report of the solarisation of schools saying that proper feasibility study needs to be done to find out the exact needs of every school and to examine whether each school’s infrastructure can support the system or not .
ADB approves $325m loan to connect off-grid areas in K-P, Punjab
“We have decided to install three fans and three lights in each room of a school and K-P elementary and secondary education department has shared complete data, including the number of rooms in the schools to be solarised,” he said.
The schools need to be examined for proper roofs and ceilings before installing the solar system.
PEDO Chief Executive Officer Akbar Ayub, however, refuted the information saying that their job was to prepare the PC-1 of the project and they have done it.
Ayub also said that the project’s PC-1 has been approved by the CDWP. The project is with the K-P Planning and Development Department and is being processed, he added.
“We are not looking at solarisation locally but globally to match standards,” he said. “We are looking at different sources to finance the project to ensure the quality of the project.”