SANGHAR, Feb 18: Federal minister for water and power Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has expressed the hope that electricity tariff will be reduced after the completion of the Ghazi Barotha Hydel Power Project.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 132kv Sanghar- Mirpurkhas transmission line at Wapda grid station on Tuesday, he said that after completion of the Ghazi Barotha project, it would generate 1450 megawatt hydel power, which was cheaper than power generated by thermal power stations.

The minister said that one of power generating units of the project would start functioning soon.

He said that 70 per cent power was generated by thermal power stations in the country.

He said that Rs150 billion would be spent on development of water and power resources in the country and by 2007 an additional 5.6 million acre feet water would be provided to the irrigation system.

He said that three years back the income of Wapda was Rs80 billion but after induction of army, its revenue increased to more than Rs200 billion.

Speaking on the occasion, Wapda chairman Zulfiqar Ali Khan said that during the last four years, eight new grid stations were built while expansion work on 10 grid stations was continuing.

He said that 407km-long 132kv and 66kv transmission lines were being laid in Sindh at a cost of Rs1.5 billion.

He further said that two transformers of 160MV were being installed in Jamshoro and Dadu and a 220KV transmission line between Jamshoro and Hyderabad was under construction.

By the end of the current year, he said, 220KV grid station on Tando Mohammad Khan road would start functioning.

The Wapda chief said that 2,154 people were inducted in Wapda to control unemployment in Sindh.

MNA Haji Khuda Bux Nizamani, Sanghar District Nazim Roshan Din Junejo were present on the occasion.