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Summary Senate body on Water and Power has sought the reason for slow pace of work on Dasu power project.
A meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Water and Power held here on Wednesday with Senator Zahid khan in the chair and expressed strong annoyance over the performance of progress of work on Bhasha, Dasu dams.The committee said that development work on these projects is being delayed while energy crisis is becoming severe with every passing day thus adding suffering to the miseries of masses.The committee asked Secretary Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to inform about the hurdles in the development work of Dasu power project and directed him to give the details in this regard within one month. Committee asked officials of water and power to expedite work on Dasu and Diamer Bhasha dam and take concrete steps for timely completion of these projects.Legislative body recommended officials of EAD and water and power to arrange a meeting with Foreign minister and devise mechanism to get funds from friends of Pakistan for hydel power projects which they earlier promised.The standing committee also resented the less power production from Malakand hydel power project and pointed out certain flaw in the project. Senator Hamayun Khan Mandokhel said rather to generate 81 MW, project is producing 23 megawatt while large no of water has been wasted. He said that we are getting 2/3 electricity from this project.Standing committee recommended officials to coordinate with provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to expedite work on Dasu hydel power project.The committee also directed Secretary Water and power to check the reasons behind less power production from different power projects and in case of any negligence fix the responsibility and take stern action.Chairman of the committee Senator Zahid khan said that today officials are not ready for detailed briefing to the parliamentarians and do not have appropriate answers of queries. He asked the officials to remain aware about latest statistics regarding power situation round the clock.Legislative body showed its anger over long time of tarrif determination by NEPRA for hydel power generation in the country. Committees showed dissatisfaction over briefing given by officials of NEPRA and recommended Chairman NEPRA to sit together with Private power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and Shydo and devise mechanism for immediate tarrif determination and give report within twenty days.Committee asked Chairman NEPRA to give details of all those applications which are pending before authority for tarrif determination. During the meeting officials of Economic Affairs division (EAD) informed the committee Japan is providing machinery worth of four billion dollars for Diamere Bhasha dam while USAID has asked to provide 200 million dollars while Islamic Development Bank would provide hundred million dollar for the project.
