PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday directed officials to make progress on two hydel power projects in Lower Chitral, which are likely to generate 610 megawatts of electricity.

A statement issued here said that the chief minister was chairing a meeting regarding 350MW Toren Mori-Kari and 260MW Jamsheli-Toren Mori hydel power projects in Lower Chitral district.

The meeting, which discussed both the projects, was also attended by adviser on energy Himayatullah Khan, officials of KP energy department and China-Pak Energy Investment (SUZHOU) Co. Ltd.

Mahmood Khan said that both the projects were essential for provision of cheap electricity to the economic zones of the province and these should be completed as soon as possible. He said that the government wanted speedy development of these projects and would extend every kind of support in this regard.

He directed for ensuring visible progress on the projects and that realistic timelines should be fixed for speedy implementation of the projects. He directed the energy and power department to resolve pending issues on priority because these two projects would meet the requirement of electricity for different economic zones in the province.

The chief minister said he would personally pursue these projects on federal level in order to include them in the national generation plan and to resolve other issues related to the federal government.

He said that the provincial government had started wheeling of electricity to industrial consumers. He said that Rashakai economic zone and other industrial zones of the province would also be provided cheap electricity under this wheeling regime model.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019