ISLAMABAD, June 18: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has called for reducing the prices of electricity by converting thermal power generation to hydelpower generation and also by opting for coal-fired power in the country.

Official sources told Dawn that the president chaired here on Tuesday a high-level meeting to discuss the affairs of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and was informed that its losses had come down from 40 per cent to 26 per cent.

He directed the Wapda chairman to further remove the leakages and bring visible improvements in the organisation.

However, sources said, the president was concerned about power tariff, and said people of Pakistan needed relief in the form of reduction in electricity and other utility charges.

He emphasised the need for some balanced power generation so that huge foreign exchange being spent on the import of oil for thermal power could be reduced.

He agreed with planners that all sections of the society should pay for electricity but then added that a common man should not be burdened with unnecessary increase in the power tariff.

Sources said he directed the concerned officials to work out certain details for early conversion of thermal power generation to hydel power generation and the effective use of coal for power purposes.

The meeting was given a detailed briefing about the affairs of Wapda. Generally, sources said, the meeting which was also attended by ministers for finance and privatisation, expressed satisfaction over the performance of Wapda. It was also informed about the progress so far made for building Gomal Zam dam and Mirani dam.

The meeting was further informed that pre-qualification of contractors of Gomal Zam Dam had been completed and that tender documents were also prepared and issued. A tender was also floated for the construction of Gardavi bridge.

Similarly, the participants were told that pre-qualification and tender documents for contractors were prepared and issued for Mirani dam project. Also field work for acquisition of land for dam and irrigation system in collaboration with the government of Balochistan had been completed.

The progress on Greater Thal Canal also came under discussion and the meeting was told that the project would provide irrigation supplies to an area of 1.50 million acres in Punjab.

They said President Musharraf was of the view that there should be a monthly meeting to discuss the performance of each state corporation so that the losses of state enterprises could be reduced. Generally, the government admits that there was Rs100 billion annual haemorrhaging to the national exchequer due to the bad performance of the public sector enterprises.

The meeting was also informed that Water Wing of Wapda had undertaken a comprehensive programme for development of water and hydropower resources. Two major surface water projects — Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project and Pehur High Level Canal Project — had been executed.

The economic analysis of three alternatives of Kachhi Canal Project (Mithankot alternative, Taunsa alternative with independent canal and Taunsa alternative with remodelling of existing canals) had been completed, the meeting was further told.