ISLAMABAD, May 3: Two border towns of Pakistan are getting electricity from Iran while the third town would get the same soon with the completion of the transmission line, the National Assembly was informed here the other day in a written reply.

Water and Power Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in response to a question of Maulana Ahmad Ghawas said that the supply of electricity from Iran had not been suspended and the border towns of Taftan and Mashkhail were getting electricity after completion of interconnection network between Pakistan and Iran.

A 132KV line for interlinking Pakistan border town of Mand with Jakigore of Iran has been completed by Wapda up to the terminal point of the border.

But the line from Iran to border of Pakistan was under construction by Iranian authorities and they have promised to complete the work within a year. After completion of the line in Iran area, the electricity would be made available to the Pakistani border town of Mand also, the minister said.

He said that the agreement for the supply of electricity from Iran was made between Wapda (Pakistan) and TANVIR (Iran) in November 2002.

To another question, the minister said that Wapda’s total expenses under all major heads, including fuel cost, independent power producers (IPPs), operation and maintenance (O&M), debt service liability (DSL) and hydroelectric profit, have increased from Rs109 billion in 1999 to Rs206 billion in 2002.

He said that except O&M costs, all other costs were beyond control because the DSL Direct and Capacity payment to IPPs were contractual liabilities and had to be honoured while hydroelectric profit payment was a constitutional obligation whereas fuel cost was based on the prices of furnace oil and gas. All these factors were not in control of Wapda.

He said that the O&M expenditures which were somewhat controllable had already been brought to such a low level that further curtailment would effect efficiency and make the system unreliable.

He said during 1998-99 Wapda paid to IPPs Rs47.2 billion to purchase 15,212 million kWh, Rs65.2 billion in 1999-2000 to purchase 17.8 million kWh, Rs101 billion in 2000-01 to purchase 22,532 million kWh and Rs109.6 billion to purchase 21,458 million kWh in 2001-02.

He said that in the year 1998-99 only 4 IPP plants were commissioned whereas in 2001-02, 14 plants were commissioned.