PESHAWAR, Oct 9: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has so far spent Rs94 million on rehabilitation of the power distribution network, badly affected by the earthquake of Oct 8, 2005.

The permanent reconstruction work would be completed by next year at an estimated cost of Rs485 million.

A Pesco spokesman, in a statement issued here on Tuesday, said the earthquake affected the entire infrastructure for power supply in the Hazara division and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to him, the technical staff of the public utility had so far repaired six grid stations — including the 132-KV Muzaffarabad, Hattian, Noseri, Balakot, Batal and Thakot grid stations — which were completely destroyed in the devastating earthquake.

He said that 35 transmission lines of 11KV were laid and energised, while 200 distribution transformers damaged by the quake were replaced. Work on the 99-km-long Balakot-Kaghan-Naran transmission line has also been completed.

The spokesman said reconstruction work on a permanent basis was in progress.