Staff Reporter
Peshawar
A high level meeting to discuss matters related to gas and electricity was held here on Monday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair. Matters related to the supply of gas to the entire population of gas producing districts of the province, regularization of illegal gas connections, security of gas pipelines and other installations and electricity related issues in the provincial capital and its vicinities came under discussion.
Besides Federal Minister Energy & Power Umar Ayub, Special Assistant to PM Nadeem Babar, Provincial Ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagara, Ishitaq Urmar, Advisor to CM on Energy Hamayatullah Khan, Member of National Assembly from Karak Shahid Khattak and elected MNAs and MPAs of Peshawar, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federal Secretary Petroleum, Federal Secretary Energy & Power and high ups of PESCO, PEPCO and SNGPL.
It was agreed in the meeting to provide gas to all the population of gas producing district Karak and the SNGPL authorities were directed to devise a feasible work plan along with proper timelines to this effect. The SNGPL authorities were further directed to fulfill all the commitments made to the local population of District Karak and to take necessary steps in this regard on priority basis. It was decided in the meeting to identify all illegal gas connections of local industries and to devise a workable strategy in collaboration with local administration and elected representatives to regularize all those illegal connections and to implement the strategy within minimum possible time period. On this occasion the concerned authorities were directed to take all necessary steps to operationalize two dedicated police stations already notified for the security of gas pipelines and other installation in district Karak by deputing the required security personnel. It was also decided that if required, additional personnels of frontier constabulary will be deputed for this purpose. The meeting was briefed about the progress made on the gas supply network in district Karak and Hangu and it was told that work is in progress on a project worth Rs. 9039 million.
Regarding the electricity issues of Peshawar including load-shedding, low voltage, overloaded feeders, over billings, line losses etc, it was agreed to make a huge investment to upgrade the transmission system to cater the increasing need of the city, and efforts would be made to invest up to 20 billion rupees this year to resolve all the electricity related issues on sustainable basis. It was decided on the occasion that Ministry of Water & Power will devise a comprehensive plan to upgrade the existing infrastructure of the provincial capital, and another meeting would be held during 2nd week of September under the chair of the Chief Minister to finalize the plan by incorporating the recommendations and suggestions of the elected public representatives of Peshawar.
