The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has allocated Rs1.28 billion for as many as 19 new power and energy projects in the province.
The revised budget of the Hydel Development Funds for fiscal year 2019-20 as well as budget estimates for the current financial year have also been sanctioned.
This was decided in the 14th Board of Directors meeting of the K-P Hydel Development Fund on Sunday. Chief Minister Mahmood Khan presided over the meeting.
The meeting was briefed about the current and new uplift schemes in the power sector.
It was informed that Rs11.65 billion have been allocated in the current budget for 21 ongoing schemes whereas Rs1.28 billion have been allocated for 19 new uplift schemes.
Total revenue worth Rs31.194 billion had been collected from Malakand-III Hydro Power Project and Pehur Hydro Power Station whereas Rs2.8 billion has been added to the provincial exchequer during the financial year 2019-20.
Regarding the progress on various developmental schemes the meeting was told that over 90 per cent physical work on the Jabori Hydro Power Project in Mansehra, Karora Hydro Power Project in Shangla and the Lower Dir Hydro Power Project has been completed. These hydro power projects will have production capacity of 10.2 megawatt, 11.80 megawatt and 40.8 megawatt respectively.
It was further informed that 302 mini hydro power projects had been completed in various districts of the province.
With regard to progress on solarisation schemes, the meeting was informed that solarisation of CM Secretariat and Civil Secretariat had been completed and similarly, solarisation of 100 villages in southern and central districts of the province had been completed under the alternate energy resource scheme.
“Solarization of 300 masajids and worship places of minorities in the newly merged districts has been completed with a total cost of Rs183 million,” it was informed.
Chief Minister Mahmood said that the provincial government was taking result oriented steps under a well devised strategy to effectively use the hydro power potentials of the province.
He said work is in progress on a number of important hydro power projects adding that on completion, these projects would help a great deal to address the power shortage issue as well as ensure uninterrupted power supply to the local industrial units for creating employment opportunities in the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2020.
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