FAISALABAD: Government is fully committed to honor its promise to eliminate load shedding of electricity up to 2018 while the process to make it cheaper will start from next year with the commissioning of Sahiwal Coal Power Plant, said Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali State Minister for Water and Power. He was addressing the business community in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here today.
He said that as the result of hectic efforts, the power production has been increased from 13500 to 17000 mega watts while in October 2018 another 8000 to 10000 mega watts of electricity will be added into the system which will be sufficient to meet the country’s needs. He said that during the period of previous government 14 to 16 hours load shedding had crippled the life of common man while the industrial sectors were also protesting on the roads. The previous government did not spend even a single penny on the transmission system while the present government is not only constructing power plants but a transmission line from Mityari to Lahore will also to be laid after the biding of this project. “The work will be immediately started on it’’, he said and added that under its second phase Mityari- Faisalabd transmission line is also under consideration.
He said that Sahiwal Coal Power Plant will be completed in May, June next year. Similarly, work is in progress on Thar Coal Power Plants. “These power plants will use indigenous coal to produce cheap electricity’’, he added. He further told that another three power projects with imported RLNG are also under construction in Bhikhi, Baloki and Hawaili Bahadar Shah. These will generate total 3600 megawatts of electricity; he further said and claimed transparency in all projects undertaken by his government. He said approximately Rs.100 billion have been saved in these projects .He said that Bhikhi power plant will be completed in April, May next while remaining two will become functional with the gap of 2, 2 months each. He further told that work on 1300 megawatts Tarbaila-4 project is also in full swing which will help government to provide cheap electricity to the people. He also offered the FCCI to arrange a delegation to personally visit these projects which will play a major role in the total elimination of load shedding.
Responding to a question, he said that all the 10 distribution companies were run experimentally on full load. There was no problem in FESCO while the problems identified during this process in other Discos are being resolved on war footing. Abid Sher Ali said that his ministry has decided to upgrade WAPDA Engineering Academy Faisalabad into a full fledge university. Similarly land is also being acquired for WAODA University in Islamabad.
He said that Mr. Mamnoon Hussain President Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been requested to lay down foundation of these universities and hopefully work on these projects would be started very soon. Regarding Gas suspension for industrial sector of Punjab, the state Minister asked them to prepare a comprehensive agenda of their demand so that he could arrange their meeting with the concerned ministers. He also supported the demand to upgrade Punjab Medical College into a university and told that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Faisalabad will make announcement for the construction of Pindi Bhattian-Wazirabad Motorway and double railway track for Faisalabad. The minister also moved a resolution for high court bench in Faisalabad which was unanimously approved by the house.
Rasheed Ahmed Aslam Chief Executive Officer FESCO told that on the special directive of Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali two new grid stations of 40/40 megawatts are being constructed in steam power station and Abdullahpur. These will help to lessen burden on the existing overloaded grid stations; he said and added that the system has been fully upgraded and is capable to provide electricity to the consumer round the clock. He further told that 35 old transformers have already been replaced while another 20 would be replaced within next 10 days.
Earlier in his address of welcome, Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh President FCCI thanked Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali and his government for zero load shedding of electricity for the major industry and halving it very recently for the domestic consumers. He said that government is fully concentrating on the power generation as well as its transmission to the major load centers. He hoped that this government will successfully reign in the menace of load shedding during its tenure. However, he said that it should now focus on the provision of cheap energy so that our production cost could be trimmed and exporters could compete in international markets by offering competitive prices of their exportable surplus.
Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh also pinpointed the issue of gas suspension for the industrial sector during winter season and told that earlier gas closure notices were issued from November 15 and later this date was extended for another week. Recalling the last year efforts of Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali along with other MNAs from Faisalabad, he told that upon his intervention the government had allowed minimum life saving quota of gas to the industrial sector of Punjab. This year the same policy could also be adopted but the government and its departments preferred to take unilateral decision without consulting the stakeholders.
He requested Abid Sher Ali to realize his duty to save textile processing industry which is totally dependent on the gas. He said that at least 50% gas quota should be allowed as per previous practice. “It will not only ensure additional gas to the domestic consumers but also keep the industrial wheel in motion”, he added.
Mian Javed Iqbal, Senior Vice President Rana Sikandar Azam, Syed Zia Alamdar Hussain , Khwaja Amjad, Shakeel Ansari, Chaudhary Muhammad Nawaz, Chaudhary Muhammad Boota, Jawad Asgher, Mirza Shafique and Sana Ullah Niazi took part in the question answer session. Later, president FCCI Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh presented FCCI memento to the State Minister Abid Shair Ali.