300MW Balakot Hydro Power Project: KP to start work with ADB assistance

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will start construction work on 300 megawatts Balakot Hydro Power Project with the assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB) during the current financial year.

Approval for the appointment of consultant for initiating practical work on the power project was accorded at the 48th meeting of Provincial Energy Development Organization (PEDO).

The meeting was held here with Chairman Board, Nisar Muhammad Khan in the Chari and attended by Additional Secretary Energy, Zafarul Islam Khattak, Hassan Nasir Khan, Abdus Siddiq, Arbab Khudadad, Bakht Zaman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) PEDO, Engineer Naeem Khan and board members.

The meeting was told that after proper tendering process approval for the agreement for the project has also been obtained. The meeting also approved a new service structure for PEDO employees in a bid to bring reforms in the organization.

Chief Executive PEDO informed the meeting that the Balakot Hydro Project was the biggest and most important power project for the province and its completion on urgent basis was a challenge for us.

He said this gigantic project would be completed within seven years of time with an estimated cost of USD 722 million e.g. Rs 87 billion.

He further informed that 80 percent of the total amount e.g. 580 million dollars will be provided by the Asian Development Bank while the provincial government will provide rest of expenditures from its own resources.

The project on completion will help earn 33 million dollars annually, Engineer Naeem said. The meeting granted approval for appointing consultants for Balakot Hydro Project.

Later, the meeting owing to bringing reforms in service structure of PEDO employees gave approval to PEDO Service Rules 2020, recommended by the Reforms Committee. After this approval the long pending issues of promotion of PEDO employees will be addressed.

The Chairman Board, Nisar Muhammad Khan said after approval of PEDO Service Rules, the employees would now work with extra dedication and assured that their all other pending issues would be addressed soon. He said new service rules will further improve the performance of the organization.

At the end, the PEDO Board appreciated the efforts of Reforms Committee and Board members, Hassan Nasir and Abdus Siddiq.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020