Staff Reporter
Peshawar
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has completed construction of 290 Mini Hydel Power Stations (MHPSs) while 66 more mini power stations will be completed in June this year. The completed power stations have been handed over to the local communities to ensure the provision of uninterrupted power to the local population at affordable rates. In the second phase of the initiative, site have been identified for the construction of 672 similar power stations and work on the same will be started in the next financial year.
This was told in a meeting held here to review the overall performance of Energy and Power Department with Chief Minister, Mahmood Khan in the chair. The chief minister was given detailed briefing on the performance of the department with special focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Oil & Gas Company Limited (KPOGCL) and Pakhtunkhwa Energy & Power Development Organization (PEADO). Provincial minister for Finance, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to Chief Minister on Energy & Power, Himayatullah Khan, Head of Strategic Support Unit, Sahibzada Saeed, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Secretary Energy & Power and other relevant high ups attended the meeting. The meeting was also briefed about the progress so far made on the under completion major power projects including Drar Khuar, Machai, Renola, Jabori, Matiltan, Koto and Lawi etc.
The Chief Minister while stressing the need of timely completion of all power projects, directed to convene a meeting of the divisional and district administrations of the areas where progress on the completion of power projects is slow so that all hindrances hampering the timely completion of these important projects could be removed once for all.
Mahmood Khan also directed the high ups of Energy & Power Development to identify such issues of power projects in the province which are related to federal government so that the matter could be taken up with Prime Minister for early resolution. The Chief Minister expressed his dissatisfaction on the slow pace of on the solarization of District and Tehsil Headquarters hospital and mosques in the newly merged districts, and directed the quarter concern to go for alternative means to complete the solarization projects well in time.
He warned that unnecessary delay in the completion of these solarization projects would not be tolerated and stern actions would be taken against the responsible ones.
