Electricity woes: Khawaja Asif promises to address K-P’s demands

Water and power minister briefed on power situation in the province.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday assured the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government of full assistance in the up-gradation and improvement of power transmission system in the province. He held out this assurance during a meeting, presided over by K-P Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak in Peshawar.

During the meeting, officials of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) said that the province was not receiving its due power share due to incapacity of the power system. The chief minister demanded the federal government immediately up-grade five 220-grid stations to ensure smooth and uninterrupted power supply.

A four-member committee, comprising provincial chief secretary, provincial finance secretary, PESCO chief and joint secretary (Power), was constituted to review the existing problems and find out solutions.

Later talking to the state-run media, Khawaja Asif said the federal government was well aware of the K-P problems and would hold second round of talks after Eidul Fitr to address the issues. He said the federal government would soon pay all outstanding dues/arrears of the K-P government.

The chief minister thanked Khawaja Asif and said there would be no protest next time if the power transmission was improved in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17^th, 2014.