K-P CM calls for more power generation

13th policy board meeting of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation held

PESHAWAR:

Caretaker Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan on Saturday stressed the need to increase power generation in the province, saying that completion of ongoing power generation projects would not only add electricity to the national grid but also help generate revenue for the province.

He was chairing the 13th policy board meeting of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo).

The meeting was attended by caretaker Minister for Energy Ahmad Jan, Additional Chief Secretary Zubair Asghar Qureshi, Secretary Finance Ayaz Khan, Secretary Law Shagufta Naveed, Secretary Energy Tashfeen Haider, Pedo Chief Executive Officer Engr Naeem Khan and other board members.

On the occasion, the chief minister was presented the annual report of Pedo for the year 2022-23.

Azam expressed satisfaction over the Pedo’s performance, expressing hope that it would ensure timely completion of energy generation projects to enhance energy generation capacity of the province and provide cheap electricity to the people.

The meeting also approved the current budget estimate of Pedo for 2023-24 and the revised budget for 2022-23.

The meeting was informed that revenue of Rs47 billion had been generated by energy projects of Pedo and seven hydropower projects of 162 megawatts had been competed under Pedo while five power generating projects were in the final stages of completion.

The meeting was informed that work was in progress on 13.5MW Chappari Charkhel project and 6.9MW Mujahideen hydropower project while work had started on 300MW Balakot hydropower project with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

The work would soon start on 88MW Gabral Kalam project and 157MW Madayn hydropower project.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2023.