QUETTA, Sept 4: Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi has said Wapda incurred financial losses of Rs 1.5 billion during the past year because of subversive activities in Balochistan.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here on Tuesday, he said that five officials of the Quetta Electricity Supply

Company (Qesco) had lost their lives while trying to repair damaged installations in different parts of Balochistan.

He said that 700 villages of Balochistan would be provided electricity under the Rs1.60 billion Pak-Kuwait fund.

He said that three grid stations would be set up in Huramzai, Darwaza and Basima to address the electricity problem of the province.

He announced that additional 50 megawatts of electricity would be provided to Balochistan to meet its requirements.

He said that the laying of a 100-MW transmission line from Dadu to Khuzdar would resolve the loadshedding problem in Balochistan.

Mr Jatoi said that the ground-breaking ceremony of the Chashma-Zhob transmission line was expected to be held within a month.

He said that the government planned to construct dams at Windar and Mola.

The federal minister said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had approved Rs4.5 billion to meet the deficit of four power-supply companies.

He said that Wapda was providing maximum incentives to land-owners and growers and had decided to collect outstanding dues in easy instalments.