'PTI government resolves two decade-old dispute with centre'

The PTI led coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has out-classed its predecessors with resolving over two decades old dispute of the uncapping of net hydel profit (NHP) in head of electricity for the province.
The right of the province on the hydel power generated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was recognised in the first National Finance (NFC) Commission Award agreed amongst the federal government and four federating units of the country.
In first award the amount was fixed at Rs 6 billion per anum with 10% increase by each year. But, it was capped at Rs 6 billion since its inception in 1992. During the period from 1992 to 2015 all provincial governments made hectic efforts, but failed in the uncapping of the amount in head of net hydel profit to the province.
The provincial government of MMA from 2003 to 2008 though succeeded in getting a verdict from Arbitration Tribunal which decided the payment of an amount of Rs 110 billion to KP in head of NHP. However, due to the stubborn attitude of then federal government it was not paid to the province. But, it failed in the uncapping the NHP amount.
The Premier Yousaf Raza Gilani led coalition government of PPP however accepted the onus of the amount and delivered to then ANP-PPP coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in four equal instalments of Rs 25 billion per year while the amount of Rs 10 billion was paid in advance.
Though like the province, a coalition government of PPP and ANP was also in power in centre, but it also failed in the uncapping of the amount.
The Chief Minister Pervez Khattak headed coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since its very inception was making efforts for the uncapping of the amount and for this purpose have also taken all parliamentary parties on board in the struggle for the rights of the province.
For this purpose, all members of the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by Chief Minister have staged protest demo in front of the Parliament House in federal capital Islamabad, which bowed the central government for holding negotiations with the province to resolve the decades old issues including net hydel profit.
The federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has signed formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the resolution of issues. Under the agreement, the net hydel profit for KP has been uncapped and the province would receive arrears worth Rs 70 billion in four years.
The federal government has also agreed for the signing of Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the purchase of the electricity generated by Pehur Hydro Power Project of the provincial government.