MULTAN, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 6th Sep, 2020 ) :Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi said that revised agreements with Independent Power Plants on new tariff of electricity would surely facilitate masses.
The agreements are almost in final stages and its fruit would be shifted toward masses soon, stated Foreign Minister while laying ground breaking of 132KV grid station at Fatima Jinnah Town, here on Sunday. Foreign Minister observed that the incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf engaged IPPs for revising the electricity tariff. When there will be low tariff, it will surely put break on increasing electricity bills and facilitate masses, stated Qureshi. In past, costly agreements were made with IPPs and it put heavy burden on masses.
About work on new dams, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi maintained that dams were constructed in Ayub’s era. Now, the practical work on different dams including Diamir Bhasha Dam, Dasu and Munda dams was in progress with rapid pace. The past governments remained limited to designs of the dams only. However, the incumbent started practical work. Chinese contractors with heavy machinery were working on the dams sites. He noted that Diamir Bhasha Dam would be completed by seven years. He termed it very big project for the facility of the nation and coming generations. He remarked, he did not know who would be in power after seven years but the project initiated the incumbent PTI government would surely serve masses.
Qureshi stated that the government was also focusing on solar and wind energy systems also. When there will be electricity from solar, hydel and wind sources, then it would reduce electricity cost too, Shah Mahmood maintained. Recently, an agreement of 100 megawatts from solar system was inked with a company and under this agreement, the cost of per unit electricity would be 3.7 cents only. In past tenure, the solar energy cost was 18 cents per unit, he informed.
About new grid station, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that it would facilitate over 40,000 new consumers including domestic, commercial, industrial and tube-wells. Similarly, the voltage will improve in the area, not only for new consumers but existing consumers also .
As many as 14 feeders would be linked to this new grid station, he said adding that it would also help generating employment opportunities because over 500 industrial consumers would be provided electricity from this grid station.
Qureshi informed that he had held meeting with CEO Multan Electric Power Company and discussed electricity problems. Electricity wires, lying over houses of masses, would be made safe and secure for the masses by covering these. Federal parliamentary secretary on finance Makhdoom Zaind Hussain Qureshi , provincial minister for energy Dr Akhtar Malik, MEPCO CEO Mohsin Khan also spoke.
