(Karachi) Council of Common Interests (CCI) has approved Alternative and Renewable Energy Policy 2019, Radio Pakistan reported.

The policy was approved during the 42nd CCI meeting which was held in Islamabad on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar gave a detailed presentation to CCI on annual demand and supply situation of gas with special reference to future requirements and dwindling domestic gas reserves.

During the meeting, officials apprised the PM that data regarding gas production, consumption and transmission from various provinces suggests that the country would face major gas shortage by winter 2021-2022.

They stated in a bid to avoid impeding crisis it is recommended that a national consensus needs to be built for exploration, production and conservation of domestic gas and rationalization of price mechanisms.

The meeting also considered amendment in the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002, proposed by the Government of Sindh.

Agreeing with the proposal of Punjab Government regarding control of lower portion of Chashma Right Bank Canal from Ministry of Water Resources to the Government of the Punjab, the CCI constituted a committee comprising of representatives of IRSA, Government of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to work out modalities and finalize bilateral agreement between the two provinces.

The CCI decided, in principle, to transfer the existing National Commission for Human Development and Basic Education Community Schools, teachers and students from Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to Education Departments of respective Provinces.

The meeting appreciated the strategy adopted by the Government to combat Covid-19 pandemic.

The CCI meeting also decided that 50 percent of revenue collected under the head Windfall Levy on Crude oil, condensate and natural gas under Petroleum Policy, 2012, will be shared with the concerned province.