LAHORE: The employees of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) have urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to allocate funds for the construction of new hydel power stations.
The demand was raised in a meeting held at Bakhtiar Labour Hall under the aegis of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union, which was addressed by General Secretary Khurshid Ahmed. The meeting was also addressed by Sajid Kazmi, Muzaffar Mateen, Haji Muhammad Younus, Ch Maqsood Ahmed, Rana Abdul Shakoor, Osama Tariq and other trade union representatives.
The workers’ leaders pointed out that new thermal power stations are required to provide cheaper electricity to the national industries, agriculture, commerce and domestic electricity consumers since Tarbela, Mangla, Ghazi Brotha have been providing electricity at Rs2.5 per unit in comparison with the high cost of the private power station at Rs20 to 30 per unit.
They also welcomed the recommendations of the National Assembly Committee of Water & Power asking the government not to privatise national profitable electricity public utility on the behest of IMF, but raise their productivity. The workers also demanded to the Government to enlarge and improve training facilities to the field staff.
