GUJRAT: Scores of makeshift huts of gypsies were vacated by the local authorities hours before the arrival of federal power minister to inaugurate a 220kV grid station near Hariyewala village as the slums were located on the land adjacent to the new facility.

The gypsies who were forced to vacate the land, also staged a protest demonstration in front of the venue where the inaugural function was later held.

They chanted slogans against what they called a harsh step taken by the authorities at the behest of the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco).

The protesters demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should take serious notice of the “unjust action” that turned them homeless.

Later, addressing the inauguration ceremony, the minister, Abid Sher Ali, said power projects having over 10,000MW capacity were being completed on fast track.

The 220kV grid station with transmission line has been installed at a cost of Rs1,966 million by the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).

The minister said the grid station would end forced loadshedding, improve voltage level and minimise tripping being faced by Gepco consumers due to overloading of the system.

Giving details of the NTDC projects, the company’s managing director said 3x250MVA transformers had been installed at the 220kV grid station which would supply power to six 132kV grid stations of Gepco for subsequent distribution to feeders.

The NTDC has also provided transmission interconnection facilities to many power generation projects having a total installed capacity of 6,164MW during the last one year.

These projects include RLNG Bhikki Power Plant (1200 MW), RLNG Balloki Power Plant (1200MW), RLNG Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant (1200 MW), Sahiwal Coal Fired Power Plant (1320MW), Patrind Hydro Power Plant (147MW), Chashma Nuclear Power Plants C3 and C4 (680MW), Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (400MW) (For the remaining 600MW, a 220kV transmission line and associated substation is already complete) and Renolia Hydro Power Plant (17MW).

He added that 500kV transmission line for evacuation from 1320MW Port Qasim Power Plant would be completed shortly.

He said the PML-N government was committed to eliminate power loadshedding in 2018.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2017