LAHORE, July 27: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has announced the Punjab Power Generation Policy, 2006, under which power projects will be undertaken by public and private sectors individually or in collaboration.

As many as 48 sites have been identified at different canals in the province where hydel power projects of 500 megawatts would be set up.

The policy was approved by the chief minister at a meeting on Thursday. Minister for Power Armughan Subhani, chief secretary Salman Siddique, planning and development chairman Suleman Ghani, P&D secretary Sohail Ahmad and chief engineer (power) Muhammad Yaqoob and other senior officers were present.

The chief minister said on the occasion that the Punjab Power Development Board had already been constituted under which the new power policy would be implemented.

He said local and foreign investment would be encouraged in power generation sector and implementation of the Punjab Power Policy would not only help in the provision of low cost electricity to the masses but also leave a positive impact on agriculture and industry in the province.

He said the hydel power projects of international standard would be constructed. The Punjab government would give a practical shape to the Khokhara Hydro Power Project near Mandi Bahauddin at a cost of Rs260 million. Five hydropower generation projects at Okara, Pakpattan, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Marala (Sialkot) would be initiated with the cooperation of the Asian Development Bank to produce 25 megawatt electricity, he added.

He said under the Punjab Power Generation Policy, the possibilities of generation of energy from thermal, solar and other sources would also be explored.

Provincial irrigation and power secretary Arif Nadeem told the meeting that the Punjab Power Development Board would allocate different sites to the private investors in a transparent manner for hydro power projects and the Punjab Development Board, headed by the chief minister, would provide all facilities to the investors under one window operation.