Spokesman of KP says they generate and sell
power at Rs4/unit while
Federal govt charges Rs14/unit
ISLAMABAD: A spokesman of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has alleged that the
Federal government deliberately avoided handing over reins of
power distribution to the PTI-led government in KP with the aim of intensifying
power load shedding in the province.
Talking to The News, spokesman of the KP government Mushtaq Ghani said the
Federal government took ** steps to control
power theft and rampant corruption in the
power distribution companies that is why the people of the KP province are forced to face worst kind of
power load shedding.
"We have again offered to the
Federal government that if it gives us the powers of electricity
distribution then we will buy 13.5 percent quota of electricity and distribute it in the province. We are confident that after removing
power theft, line losses, and corruption there would be **
power load shedding in our province," he said.
He said they can **t only stop electricity theft but also revise downward the electricity tariff in the province once given the generation and
distribution rights by the
Federal government.
Mushtaq Ghani said the provincial government is pursuing a plan costing Rs7 billion to construct 356 mini hydro
power projects and 50 out of them have already been completed, providing 35 MW of electricity to the local people.
He said the PTI-led government is working on projects of over 3,000 MW and much of the progress would depend upon the approval process of these schemes as projects above 50 MW need permission of the
Federal government.
"The mini hydro
power projects are being constructed in the far flung areas where the people would be provided with the
power connections that would certainly help improve their socio-eco**mic conditions," he said
Referring to the 18th Amendment, he said it allows provincial bodies to oversee generation and
distribution of electricity, adding "If the
Federal government is sincere to the people of KP then it should give mandate to the KP government to generate and distribute electricity on its own."
Mushtaq Ghani alleged that they pointed out time and again the cases of
power theft but the relevant minister never ever bothered to take action against those officials who minted money out of this illegal practice.
He said if the KP government can provide electricity being produced through 50 mini hydro
power projects at Rs4 per unit then why the
Federal government is charging up to Rs14 per unit to the people across the country.
The spokesman alleged that the
Federal government also rejected the request of the KP government for assistance in building transmission lines from the mini hydro
power plants that are currently under construction in the province.
He said three completed projects included Daral Khwar (Swat) 36.6 megawatt, Ra**lia (Kohistan) 17 megawatt and Machai (Mardan) 2.6 megawatt would start production by the year end.
"We have also asked the
Federal government to share the actual data of
power generation in the country with the provincial government and ensure provision of allocated electricity quota of 13.5 percent to help eliminate load shedding in the province," he said.-
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