PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has formally raised the issue of outstanding Net Hydel Profit (NHP) dues with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging an urgent resolution.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister cited *Article 161(2) of the Constitution, which mandates that revenues from *hydropower generation be allocated to the respective provinces. He emphasized that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) is responsible for determining the NHP rate, referring to the *1991 Qazi Committee Methodology (KCM), which led to the *first payment of Rs. 6 billion to the then-NWFP (now KP) in 1992.
This methodology was later *endorsed by the NFC and Supreme Court in 1997. In 2016, an *interim arrangement ratified by the CCI set the NHP rate at *Rs. 1.10 per kWh, with **5% annual indexation. However, *inconsistent payments have resulted in Rs. 75 billion in pending dues for KP.
The letter highlighted a *2018 demand for KCM’s full implementation, leading to a *2019 committee report verifying that KP was owed *Rs. 128 billion for FY 2016-17, a figure later endorsed by the **CCI. Despite further deliberations by the *Out-of-the-Box Committee, a resolution remains pending.
Stressing *KP’s financial strain, Gandapur urged the *Prime Minister to convene an urgent meeting to ensure a fair and constitutional settlement of the province’s dues. He expressed confidence that PM Shehbaz Sharif would ensure the constitutional rights of KP’s people are upheld.
