Power, water charges for AJK: Centre may form panel to discover ‘political’ solution

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is likely to constitute a high-level committee to find out a political solution for rates of electricity being supplied to consumers of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K), Water Usage Charges (WUC) and control of grid stations, as the public sector stakeholders have not reached any amicable solution to the issue, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.

This decision was taken at meeting held in Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan under the lead role of Secretary, KA&GB Division on May 22, 2024 convened to discuss the outstanding issues of Water Usage Charges of AJ&K.

Secretary, Water Resources Division, Secretary, Power Division and Chief Secretary AJ&K also attended the meeting.

PM for implementation of ‘understanding’ with AJK

Secretary, KA&GB noted that the meeting was convened on the direction of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and recalled that the issue of Water Usage Charges of AJ&K along with related matters were also deliberated in the Inter-Ministerial Committee meetings held under Minister for Defence during caretaker government and some background work had already been done.

He stated that the deliberations could not remain conclusive due to divergent stances, primarily between the Governments of AJ&K, Ministry of Water Resources and Power Division.

He also recalled that two preparatory meetings were also held in Ministry of KA&GB on May 15, 2024 and May 16. 2024 to discuss the core issue of a mutually agreeable draft bilateral Agreement to be signed between Govt of AJ&K and Govt of Pakistan (M/o Water Resources) and some headway had been achieved. However, the core issue of bilateral Agreement remains to be resolved.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024