ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed the federal and provincial authorities to immediately take steps to enable private investors to set up hydel power projects on river Swat to meet growing needs for the fast economic growth.

He also asked the NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani and Minister for Water and Power Liaqat Ali Jatoi to visit the area personally and resolve local issues on top priority.

Presiding over a meeting on 101mw Swat Hydropower Project, the prime minister said the government was encouraging private sector investment in the energy sector as the demand in the country is growing rapidly as a result of fast growth and economic vibrancy. A delegation of Swat Hydro Power led by Allaudin Feerasta, minister and secretary water and power and representatives of Private Power and Infrastructure Board attended.

Mr Aziz said the government planned to provide electricity to every village in the country by 2007 under the Roshan Pakistan Programme and the villages not on the grid would be provided electricity through alternative sources of energy.

While encouraging electricity generation through coal and thermal power government gives priority to hydel power, as it is cost efficient as compared to other sources of power generation. Besides, hydroelectric power is environment friendly, he added.

Mr Aziz was apprised of the progress being made on the 101 MW Swat Hydro Power Project located on the Gabral river upstream of Kalam in Swat, whose capacity can be further enhanced to 137MW. The run-of-the-river project will have a total generation capacity of 528GW per year.

He was informed that on site presentation and explanations have been given to the locals but some of them were resisting the project on political basis.