September 09, 2007	Sunday	Sha'aban 26, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Saturday that additional power generation capacity was being commissioned to meet growing electricity demand in rural and urban areas.

He stated this while talking to Chairman Wapda Shakil Durrani and CEO of Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) Munawar B. Ahmad, who called on him at the PM’s House.

An official announcement issued here said that in order to improve the transmission, distribution and generation of electricity Wapda and Pepco have been separated and hoped that this restructuring will improve the efficiency, create a focused approach and help consumers to get reliable and continuous supply of electricity.

The prime minister said that Wapda was mainly responsible for hydel power generation and water reservoirs while Pepco will look after the transmission, distribution and generation of electricity through other sources.

He emphasised the need to build large dams in the country and said several projects are under consideration in this regard.

Preliminary work on Bhasha Dam, he said, is already underway and Neelum-Jhelum project is also at the advance stage of planning. He said all dams will be built by developing consensus and will help in achieving the increased demand for electricity besides building water reservoirs to meet the need for irrigation.