ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development was informed here on Monday that Keti Bandar in Sindh was likely to become the energy hub of the country in coming years.

Chairman of the committee Senator retired Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi stated that comments should be sought from Pakistan Navy regarding development works at Keti Bandar as the area, being close to Indian waters, might be sensitive.

The committee was briefed by Rashid Hussain, special secretary for energy, Keti Bandar Project, that around 14 coal-based power plants would be established by 2025 in the area based on Thar coal to generate 6,000MW electricity.

‘14 coal-based power plants would be established by 2025’

The committee was informed that 1,320MW electricity would be produced in the first phase, and a railway track to transport coal would be laid from the Thar area to Keti Bandar.

Rashid Hussain said the Keti Bandar project had been made part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its feasibility study was under process, while his department had written a letter to the navy to seek information about sensitive places. “We are waiting for a response,” he said.

After the directives of the chairman of the committee for writing a letter to the navy, Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja asked the officials of the Keti Bandar Project to present a feasibility report of the Keti Bandar development project initiated by the federal government in 1993.

Quetta mass transit project

The committee also supported granting subsidy to the Quetta mass transit project saying the anticipated fare was too high for the ordinary commuter. Senator Mashhadi and Senator Saifullah Magsi expressed concerns at the Rs70 per trip per person fare and demanded that it be reduced.

The committee was briefed by officials of the Planning and Development Department, Balochistan, on the Quetta Mass Transit Project, which is from Kuchlak to the Spezand area of the provincial capital with a rail track of 48.5 kilometres. Besides, a high-quality dual-track road would be constructed from Sariab to Kuchlak.

The estimated cost of the project is $687.22 million, which will be mainly funded by the Exim Bank of China at low mark-up rates for 25 years as the project has been included in the CPEC. However, this cost does not include land acquisition, power supply infrastructure and various government taxes. The committee was informed that the existing rail track needed repairs and some encroachments along it needed to be cleared, which was the responsibility of the relevant provincial department.

The officials of the Balochistan P&D said that a preliminary agreement had been signed between the government of Balochistan and the China Communication Construction Company, but the framework agreement had not yet been signed.

The committee was informed that the government of Balochistan was planning to conduct feasibility, exploring the option to construct a road along the track to operate buses, and that decision would be taken only after a survey of ground conditions.

The tickets would be at Rs70 per person per trip. Senator Saifullah Magsi objected to it and the senators referred to the Metro Bus between Rawalpindi and Islamabad where the fares were being subsidised. The committee recommended that the government of Balochistan consult the ministry of railways and the ministry of planning about the reconstruction of a track and removal of encroachments.

The chairman of the committee directed the Balochistan P&D to submit a report after these meetings to the committee.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2017