FAISALABAD, Pakistan: State Minister for Water and Power Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali Saturday said that 8000-10000 megawatts of electricity will be added in national grid by March 2018.
While two major transmission line projects are also ready for implementation.
Addressing a meeting at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here, he said that with effective management the incidents of power theft had been reduced to minimum which helped in minimizing load-shedding for the industrial sector.
Similarly, the industry-mix feeders are also observing four hours load-shedding as government was making efforts to provide electricity to the industrial sector on priority basis, he added.
“We are committed to take power generation up to 16900mw by next July-August”, he hoped and added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was monitoring the under construction power plants and is regularly chairing weekly two meetings in this regard.
The minister said “We have saved Rs.110 billion from the construction of only three power plants including Bhikki, Baloki and Haveli Bahadur Shah power plants”.
The present government believes in self-accountability and all projects were completed with sincerity and honesty, he added.
He said, “The focus of his ministry is now on provision of cheap electricity and for this purpose we are also undertaking hydel projects”.
He said that we prefer to construct coal-fired plants which can generate comparatively cheap electricity. He told that a tender for Matiari-Lahore Transmission Line has also been floated.
He said that another major transmission line would also be laid from Port Qasim to Faisalabad. We have also planned to lay a pipeline to carry LNG from Karachi to the proposed gas-fired power plants, he added.
He acknowledged the contribution of industrial sector in overall national development and said that value added sector will be given due preferences in the supply of electricity and gas.
He thanked the business community for cooperating and reposing confidence in the PML-N government and said that he will try his best to resolve their problems on priority basis.
Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Hajji Akram Ansari Parliamentary Secretary for Communication and Works also spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, Chaudhary Muhammad Nawaz President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) presented welcome address.
Later, FCCI shields were also presented to the guests including Abid Sher Ali.
Source: APP
