K-P CM wants better power infrastructure

Tesco improving transmission lines, power infrastructure whereas work under way for installation of smart poles

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Saturday the Peshawar Electric Supply Company’s (Pesco) feeders in the provincial capital will be upgraded before summer to overcome power load-shedding.

Mahmood presided over a progress review meeting on the performance of Pesco and Tribal Areas Electric Supply Company (Tesco) at the Chief Minister House.

The chief minister said electricity infrastructure of Peshawar circle will be upgraded on priority basis. He directed to improve power transmission lines, electricity infrastructure, upgrading Pesco system, elimination of power theft, upgrading transformers across the province. He directed the Pesco officials to work with relevant MPs to resolve the power issues in their respective constituencies.

CM Mahmood said recovery from the power system will be spent on fixing the power infrastructure of the province. Tesco is improving transmission lines, power infrastructure whereas work is also under way for installation of smart poles. The provincial government is taking measures to keep the uninterrupted flow of electricity in the merged districts, he claimed.

The meeting was briefed in detail on yearly performance of Pesco and Tesco. The meeting was told that this year 5.8 per cent revenue has increased.

The meeting was informed that Pesco has a total of 110 grid stations, while transmission lines are 3,367 kilometer whereas in the previous two years eight new grid stations have also been set up with a cost Rs1.99 billion.

Similarly, 272 kilometer of new transmission lines have also been installed costing Rs1.6 billion which further improved the transmission of electricity throughout the province.

The meeting was told that 3,728 transformers have been replaced from April to December of 2018, with a total cost of Rs183 million. Similarly, during April to December last year, 6,207 transformers have been replaced which cost Rs305 million. As many as 95 feeders across the province have been selected for combing in which 55 feeders were 100 per cent completed.

The chief minister said that the provincial government is taking special measures for the uninterrupted flow of electricity across the province. All resources will be utilised to ensure the continuous flow of electricity to the public so as to get rid of power load shedding in future, he added.