Irfan Aligi
Sindh Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh has rejected federal government’s newly introduced alternative energy policy and said that Sindh is that only province which has the innate capacity and wind resources enough to produce electricity from wind power but it is very unfortunate that the federal government is carrying a policy of neglecting Sindh province while the meeting of the Council of Common Interest is pending since past one year.
This he expressed in a press conference, Thursday. He demanded the federal government that the reservations of the provinces particularly Sindh should be addressed forthwith and taken on board as member of the alternative energy policy board.
He said that oil and gas are innate reserves and produce of Sindh but still Sindh has been neglected and as well Sindh is also a victim of manipulated water shortage and that the people of Sindh have also been deprived of jobs that revolve oil and gas production in Sindh.
Shaikh said that Sindh has also been deprived of its due representation in Oil and gas regulatory Authority (OGRA) by the federal government. Sindh government has scheduled a meeting Balouchistan’s Chief Minister for a common strategy to deal with similar tyrannical steps of the federal government.
The Minister for Energy Shaikh said that the federal government has deprived Sindh and other provinces of their due share from the revenue to be generated through a federally imposed alternative energy policy and that this new and controversial alternative energy policy would gave in acute hike in prices of energy.
He said that as far as Sindh province is concerned, Sindh government that represents the people of Sindh is concerned over that new alternate energy policy. Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also showed his confidence over the performance of the Sindh alternative energy portfolio under its minister.
He said that Sindh is that only province that is producing electricity from wind power and that Sindh government categorically rejects the new alternative energy policy that has been imposed by the federal government as the later failed to take Sindh government on board.
Shaikh said that the federal government had not invited Sindh government for its concerns to be addressed prior to promulgating the new alternative energy policy. Sindh has been deprived of its due share from water, oil and gas royalties.
