PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has demanded gas for power generation and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has written several letters to Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Prime Minister in this regard.
KP Board of Investment and Trade (KP BoIT) Vice Chairman Mohsin Aziz, while talking to the journalists, called for provision of 40mmcf gas to the province for generation of 200 megawatt electricity. He further demanded 40mmcf gas for consumption in industrial sector. The step, he said would play a fundamental and unique role in the economic development of the province.
Mohsin Aziz said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the victim of both economic and financial backwardness and always demanding the announcement of incentives for the establishment of new industries. He said that the province has sufficient gas reservoirs and the constitution also accepts this right of the province. The total collective gas production of the province is 370mmcf while the industries are supplied only 40mmcf gas.
The KP BoIT vice chairman said that though CM Pervez Khattak has written several letters to Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Prime Minister for provision of 80 to 100 mmcf gas and 40mmcf to labour intensive industries while another 40mmcf gas should be provided for increase in electricity production.
He further said that though Prime Minister in the meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) has approved the provision of additional gas to the province, but it would still not prove beneficial for KP as the additional electricity would be shifted on national grid and the required energy could not be supplied to industries.
