ISLAMABAD: The federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have decided to resolve all issues including power outages and the net hydle profit share amicably.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, secretaries of the ministries for finance, water and power, chairman FBR and other senior officials represented the Federal government, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak and PTI leader Asad Umar represented the PK government.
It was agreed that uncapping of net hydel profit as worked out by both sides shall be taken to the Council of Common Interests so that the matter may be addressed on a viable basis. The meeting agreed that the federal government would assist the provincial government in investment in its 13 identified power projects.
With regard to power load shedding it was decided that the province of KP will be given its share of electricity first and then PESCO will distribute it among the areas on the basis of recovery of charges in close consultation with the provincial government.
The provincial government will provide PESCO all possible assistance in recovery of electricity charges from the consumers and eradication of power stealing. It was also decided that a strategy for controlling load shedding will be finalised in the presence of Khwaja Mohammad Asif, who will visit Peshawar for this purpose on May 26.
About development works, supply of transformers and electricity connections to various public sector organisations like schools, colleges, irrigation and public health, the federal minister directed the concerned authorities that all such requirements of the province and demands of the provincial government should be fulfilled on an urgent basis particularly when the latter had made advance payment since long.
The federal minister for water and power directed the PESCO officials to prioritise the electricity connections for schools, hospitals and other provincial development projects. He also offered to assist the provincial government in identification of solar power projects site and facilitation in development in the IPP mode on the pattern of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park.
