QUETTA, Feb 22: The Balochistan Chief Minister, Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf, has directed the Quetta Electricity Supply Company (Qesco) to complete all the projects launched in the province for electrification and improvement of power supply system on time.
He gave this directive at a briefing held here on Friday about Qesco’s development projects.
Speaker and deputy speaker Balochistan Assembly, provincial ministers, members of national and provincial assemblies and district Nazims were also present on the occasion.
He said all the proposed power supply projects should be implemented as soon as possible, and new schemes included in Qesco’s development programme, incorporating the suggestions of parliament members.
With the implementation on the company’s five-year programme, the power supply system in the province would be expanded, the CM hoped.
He said immediate steps should taken for the installation of new grid stations to provide electricity in the backward areas like Ornach, Nal, Wadah and Zahri.
The Chief Executive Officer of Qesco, Brigadier Tasadduq Hussain Shah, informed the elected representatives that Qesco would spend Rs6 billion for laying new transmission lines and improving the old ones.
He said that over the next five years, 13 new grid stations would be constructed while Rs1 billion would be spent on laying 86 transmission lines of 11 KV and 1,720 distribution lines.
The Qesco chief said there was a ban on the installation of new tube wells in those areas where grid station and power load was not available. In some areas, people had taken direct connection which would be snapped.
The company could not complete schemes due to the stealing of wires, construction material and equipment, he said, adding that Qesco needed Rs179 million for the completion of projects.
He said Qesco was suffering a loss of Rs2 billion annually in the province as the customers were being provided a 30 per cent subsidy.
He said at present 9 grid stations, including two 220 KV, 132 KV, 39 and 66 KV’s were working in different areas of the province.
He said four additional new grid stations were constructed in the province during the period between 2000 to 2002 at a cost of Rs202 million. He said four new grid stations and transmission lines were under construction in Gwadar, Khair Din, Pishin, Mastung and Mand at an estimated cost of Rs980 million.
Expansion work on sub-stations in Kirdgab, Ziarat, Nal, Wadah and Zehri was completed during the last three years, costing Rs360 million. Work on Kharan, Zhob, Tump, Mand and Nushki sub-stations was in progress, he said.
Fifteen grid stations were also upgraded in different areas of the province while under Khushal Pakistan Programme Qesco was handling electrification of 136 villages at a cost of Rs65 million.