PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, on the recommendations of the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP), has approved cost enhancement of three projects for the construction of power supply infrastructure in the newly-merged tribal areas.

These projects include construction of 132KV grid station Shahkas, 132KV grid station Bara-II and 132KV grid station tribal subdivision Kohat along with transmission lines.

It is pertinent to mention here that initially these projects were included in Accelerated Implementation Programme with an estimated cost of Rs471 million, Rs530 million and Rs650 million respectively.

However, Tesco prepared PC-1s for the said projects based on the ground realities resulting in enhanced/additional cost of Rs171.59 million, Rs147.093 million Rs325.958 million respectively, said an officail statement.

These PC-1s were submitted to PDWP for approval with the enhanced cost. The forum approved these PC 1s subject to condition that energy and power department will move summaries to the chief minister being the competent authority for approval of cost enhancement.

Consequently, energy and power department had moved summaries for CM’s approval. These projects on completion will ensure provision of uninterrupted power supply to domestic as well commercial consumers and boost industrial activities in the area.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2022