Plan ready for power plants in tribal districts of K-P

Services of the Energy Department and its allied organisations to be extended to tribal districts by opening offices

PESHAWAR: The Khyber -Pakhtunkhwa government has prepared a comprehensive programme to tap rich power generation potential of tribal districts for facilitation of people, said Advisor to the Chief Minister for Energy Hamayatullah Khan said on Friday.

On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, he said provincial ministers and advisors have started visits to tribal districts to get detail briefing on available resources, requirements of tribal people and oversee development works on ground.

In this connection the advisor visited Mohmand and Bajaur districts in the first phase where he received detailed briefing from respective deputy commissioners about water reservoirs and resources for generation of inexpensive electricity for people, agriculture and industrial consumption.

The advisor was accompanied by Additional Secretary Energy Zafarul Islam, PEDO General Manager Engineer Bahadur Shah, Chief Engineer Zahid Akhtar Sabri, Engr Qayyum Zaman and others.

Mohmand Deputy Commissioner Iftikhar Alam and Bajaur DC Deputy Usman Mehsud appraised him about available resources and funds required for generation of inexpensive electricity and water reservoirs in their respective districts.

In his address to tribal elders and people, the adviser said services of Energy Department and its allied organisations would be extended to tribal districts by opening offices at local level. He inspected under construction 40MW Koto hydropower project at Dir Upper and said this project would be completed this year.

He also reviewed pace of work on 102MW Shago Katch hydropower project in Lower Dir district and directed officials to expedite work on it.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2019.