Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to develop cheap energy resources: CM

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Wednesday said that cheap energy resources would be developed immediately by completing work on the ongoing hydropower projects.

He said this while presiding over the meeting of the PEDO Policy Board. Provincial Minister of information technology and the chief minister’s advisor on energy besides chief secretary, additional chief secretary, secretary energy and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM issued directives to the concerned authorities to prepare an immediate plan to generate maximum power in minimum time. “Nature has blessed the province with immense resources that need to be fully utilised,” he said.

For this purpose, the Energy Department should work day and night, the caretaker chief minister said, adding that emergency foundations need to be worked to make the province self-sufficient in power generation, the official news agency reported.

The speed of work on the ongoing hydropower projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be accelerated, KP CM Shah said.

Significant progress in this regard should be ensured in the coming months, the caretaker chief minister said.

Hydropower plants can not only meet the needs of electricity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but industries can also be developed here, the KP CM said, adding that employment opportunities for people could also be created by providing cheap electricity to local industries.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister said work on the wheeling model to supply local electricity to more industries should be accelerated.

The newly established Grid and Transmission Company in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be made functional immediately, the KP CM Shah said.

The appointment of the chief executive officer of the said company should be effected without delay, he said while being briefed on the meeting on the proposed service rules for CEO and executive committee members of PEDO.

A committee headed by the chief minister’s adviser on energy has been formed to finalise the proposed service rules. The committee will finalise the proposed service rules and submit them for approval within two weeks.