Feeling ignored: ‘WAPDA not honouring requests despite payments’

Minister Shah Farman accuses federal government of unfair treatment

PESHAWAR: K-P Minister for Labour Shah Farman has accused Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of not delivering services to the province despite repeated requests and payments.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, Farman accused the federal government of stopping the authority from tending to the needs of K-P. “We have paid Wapda Rs3 billion for different schemes yet they are still not providing us services,” he said, adding requests of only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders are honoured by the federal body.

“Rs77 million have been paid for 158 power supply projects in my constituency alone. So far only 78 of these have been initiated, that too partially,” he added.



The minister also presented a copy of the FIR registered against PML-N K-P Information Secretary Nasir Musazai with Chamkani police. The FIR was filed by an SDO against the PML-N leader for allegedly disallowing Wapda officials from installing a transformer in an area dominated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters, Farman said. “We do not wish to point fingers but the FIR speaks for their negative mindset,” he said.

The minister said K-P government is left with no option but to take to the streets and demand its rights. “It is hard to tell whether they don’t recognise our rights or are reluctant to grant them to us,” he said. Farman said the province produces surplus electricity and gas yet its rightful share is not given to it. “K-P has large reservoirs of renewable energy sources but the PML-N government just doesn’t want foreign investors to take an interest in them,” he maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2015.