Shortage of power: KP government working on utilization of hydropower, oil & gas resources: minister

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Energy & Power Muhammad Atif Khan has said that PTI led Provincial Government was actively working on utilization of hydro power, oil & gas resources, wind, solar energy and biogas to overcome the shortage of power in the province. He added, for the purpose, viable plan has been chalked out. This he stated while addressing a provincial consultative meeting on preparation of national action plan for "sustainable energy for all" in a local hotel at Peshawar the other day.
Secretary Energy & Power Engr Naeem Khan, Chairman Planning Commission Abdul Hamid Balghari, CEO PEDO Akbar Ayub, CEO KPOGCL Raziuddin, Electric Inspector KP Muhammad Ismail and Consultant Sardar Moazzam also addressed on the occasion and presented their valuable suggestions.
Addressing on the occasion, the Minister said that work on 356 mini micro hydel projects costing Rs 5.524 Billion in 12 different districts of the province was underway with community partnership out of which 37 have been constructed while remaining would be completed by the end of 2017 that would benefit a population of more than 3 lacs. He added that the number of mini micro hydel projects would be enhanced to 1000 with support of Asian Development Bank to overcome the shortage of electricity. He said, a new power policy 2016 has been approved for making full utilization of hydel power in larger interest of the province and its people.
Atif Khan maintained that presently work on 6 power projects of 214 MW was in progress out of that 3 projects would start generation of 56 MW electricity this year which would be provided to industrial estates for economic growth and eradication of poverty and unemployment from the province as industrialization was the only way to get rid of these problems. In order to attract domestic as well as foreign investment in the province, 7 hydel power projects in private sector including Arkari Goal (Chitral) 99 MW, Naran Dam (Mansehra) 188 MW, Sheko Kach (Dir Lower) 120 MW, Gorband (Shangla) 21 MW, Batta Kundi (Mansehra) 96 MW, Sharmai (Dir Upper) 96 MW and Nandihar (Batagram) 12 MW have already been advertised while contract of 84 MW Mataltan hydro power project in Swat has already been awarded to Italian company, he further said.
The Provincial Minister asserted that PEDO has also a plan of solar panels installation in 5650 houses and provision of solar power to 200 villages of the province. He added that large scale activities started by PEDO during the present era have no parallel in the past. He said, poverty and unemployment was the basic issue of the province and it could not be resolved without industrialization adding that the PTI was focusing on this very important sector.