ISLAMABAD, June 21: Restructuring of Wapda will be completed in two to three months by giving financial independence to its distribution and generation companies, says Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi.

He was talking to journalists ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

He had earlier announced a deadline of December 2004 to complete the restructuring process.

The prime minister later directed the minister to coordinate with provinces for better water management to cope with its shortage and save Kharif crops.

Mr Jatoi said that line losses had reduced to 21.7 per cent in 2005-06 from 23.2 per cent in 2004-05. One per cent line losses means a loss of Rs2.4 billion to Wapda, as such the utility is still losing Rs52 billion per annum.

He said the new administration of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation had assured the federal government that it would expand its power generation system and would be generating 800MW additional electricity by 2010. He said Wapda had increased its supply to KESC by 73 per cent during the current season.

The minister said that the Dadu-Khuzdar transmission line involving Rs3 billion would be in place by 2008 as an alternative to ensure uninterrupted power supply to Balochistan. The minister said that water situation in Indus River had improved because of surge in mercury up to 30 Centigrade in the catchment area.