Centre owes Rs10b to PEDO

PESHAWAR:

The federal government owes Rs10 billion to Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) as it generates Rs32 billion revenue annually for the province.

PEDO is a subsidiary of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Department of Energy and Power. It is the largest revenue generating agency with annual profit of over Rs5 billion, which is currently generating 161 MW of cheap electricity that will be increased to 224 MW next year.

In this regard, the annual profit is expected to increase from about Rs5 billion to Rs10 billion.

New employment opportunities are being created in the province for the development of the industrial sector by generating cheap electricity through the wheeling model and selling it at cheap rates.

This was claimed by Secretary Energy Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah while addressing a review meeting on ongoing energy projects of PEDO.

After the successful transfer of the CM House and Secretariat as well as civil secretariat to the solar system, additional power generation through net metering is saving millions of rupees in terms of electricity bills.

The province 4,440 mosques, 8,000 schools and 187 basic health units (BHUs) are also being shifted to the solar system while 13 solar mini-grids are being constructed to promote commercial activities in newly merged districts.

In addition to this, 302 mini micro-hydel stations have been completed in the backward areas of the province that are deprived of electricity traditionally. About 29 MW of cheapest electricity is being provided to the poor people at the village level from it.

Koto hydropower project 40.8 MW Dir Lower, Karora power project Shangla 11.8 MW and 10.2 MW Jabori power project Mansehra are in the final stages of completion.

On the other hand, others ongoing projects of PEDO including 84 MW Matiltan power project Swat, 69 MW Lawi power project Chitral, 6.9 MW Brando power project Torgarh and 10.5 MW Chapri Charkhel power project Karam, the construction work is going on full swing.

The World Bank assisted projects at district Swat, construction work on Gabral Kalam HPP of 88 MW and Madyen HPP of 157 MW is also being started soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2022.