Power generation plants to overcome crisis: minister

Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Khan Jatoi has said that the establishment of new power generation plants would help in meeting out the shortfalls of electricity in the country.
The construction work on three power generation plants have been started, the minister informed this while talking to newsmen here at Wapda Colony Rest House on Thursday.
He said since last three years, the government had made agreements of establishing about eight to ten power-generation plants, which would help overcome the power crisis. In private sector, the minister informed, 15 companies have submitted the bank guarantee for establishing hydel power plants under which, the feasibility of such projects is under progress and the work will be started from the next year.
The establishment of such power generation plants will surely cater the increasing needs of electricity, the minister said and added that sufficient electricity will not only help the rapid development in different sectors, but it also overcome the demand of the consumers.
He, however, emphasised the need of avoiding the misuse of electricity with unnecessary lightening in the marriage halls. It is the need to implement the national conservation policy in letter and spirit to utilise the available electricity for the development of the country, he added.
He said the ministry has provided electricity to 19,000 tube wells last year in the country and this year, the same number of tube wells will be energised. Besides, he informed that village electrification is being carried out in 17,000 villages of the country. About 1.5 million consumers are being added every year, therefore, the government decided to establish more power generation plants to overcome the increasing demand, the minister said.
The minister said all development works, which are under execution is because of the dynamic leadership of the President Pervez Musharraf who fully committed to move the countrymen towards the developed nations of the world.
Referring to recent situation, the minister said, thunderstorms and heavy rains caused losses to the installations of HESCO including the fallen of electric poles. As a result of hectic efforts, the damages to the installations of HESCO have been repaired with immediate effect in some districts while work remained in progress in other districts of the province.
The minister informed that with the financial assistance of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, the ministry has prepared a comprehensive strategy to eliminate Kunda Culture and regularise all illegal connections, that causing line losses to power distribution companies.
The HESCO officers have been asked to lay new cables and install new meters with strict action against illegal connections, the minister said. He also informed that 70,000 illegal connections have been regularised during the last two years.
The minister also expressed satisfaction over the performance of task force and vigilance committees. He informed as a result of their efforts about Rs 350 million has been recovered from the defaulters and the holders of illegal connections.
Besides this, the minister said new grid stations are being established in Sindh while installation of more transformers in the grid stations and laying of transmission lines are also in progress. The completion of these projects will help in uninterrupted power supply to consumers with accurate voltages, he added.
During the meeting with HESCO officers, the minister informed that decision has been made to declare Tharparkar, Jacobabad Khairpur districts as pilot district where the operation and construction officers of HESCO will make joint efforts for improvement in power supply system by laying the fallen electric poles and wires and maintaining the overloaded transformers.
Earlier, the Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Khan Jatoi held meeting with State Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Development Muhammad Ali Malkani, MNA Ayaz Shah Sherazi, MNA Dr Ghulam Ali Samijo, MNA Liaquat Marri, MNA Arbab Zakaullah and MNA Khuda Bux Nizamani and inquired with them about the losses that caused by the recent cyclone and heavy rains in their respective districts. The Chief Executive Officer HESCO Maqbool Ahmed Khawaja was also present on the occasion among other officers.