ISLAMABAD, Feb 4: The federal government is likely to approve Sindh's request to set up a new power transmission network in the province, officials said here on Wednesday.

The project, official said, would cost Rs5.2 billion to install the secondary facilities, comprising 132-KV and 66-KV transmission lines and grid stations.

As a first step, a total of 3,356 pending applications as on June 2003, would be entertained for extending new industrial, agricultural and domestic connections.

The provision of secondary transmission lines and grid stations represents a second sector in the power network system, ensuring optimal utilisation of the new generation and primary transmission facilities as well as those to come up in the future.

The Sindh government had contended that some of its transmission lines and grid stations, especially in coastal areas, had become obsolete, resulting in frequent power outages, increased line losses and low-voltage problems. It also said that salinity had also affected electric poles.

"The existing system is not capable of even catering to the present load requirements", the Sindh government said.

Rehabilitation measures, Sindh government said, would help improve the stability and reliability of the transmission system, especially the part which is the responsibility of the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company.

The future loads of all types of communities are projected on the basis on present pattern of power consumption, taking at the same time into consideration the specific industrial and agricultural development programmes. The demand of the district in each division and then of all the divisions located in the entire system has been worked out.