QUETTA: Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said on Thursday that the federal government would provide fuel for nine power plants of Balochistan.

The assurance came during a meeting presided over by Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister regretted that the federal government was not providing fuel for five power houses despite commitments to do so and now these units had been closed for some time, causing difficulties to people living in areas not linked to the national grid.

Also read: Qesco stops power supply to hundreds of defaulters

The provincial government, he said, had arranged fuel for power houses located in Ormara, Awaran, Washuk, Jewani, Nokundi and Dureji and some other areas to continue electricity supply to people of these areas.

However, he said, the power supply had been reduced in these areas from diesel-based power houses.

The chief minister urged the federal ministry of water and power to fulfil its commitment and provide fuel for full functioning of these power stations.

The Managing Director of Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco), Omar Rasool, BOD Chairman Mir Abdul Khaliq Baloch, Qesco Chief Executive Rehmat Baloch and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The chief minister said that subsidy was being given to 28,000 agriculture tube-wells from Balochistan’s development funds.

“All consumers enjoying this facility will be required to pay their bills,” he said.

The CM said the government had released funds to Qesco for building power projects. He urged the federal government to recruit local people in the Quetta Electric Supply Company to help address the employment issue in the province.

Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali said the federal government would fulfil its commitments and provide funds to supply fuel for power plants in Balochistan.

“These areas will soon get power supply from diesel-based power houses,” he said.

Referring to power projects in Balochistan, he said development schemes pertaining to Qesco would be completed on time. He lamented that agriculture consumers were using 60-horse power motors in some areas while it had been decided by the federal and Balochistan governments that consumers would use only 30hp power motors.

The meeting decided to form a steering committee to review complaints lodged by the farmer community and other issues pertaining to Qesco.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2015

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