Summary Says the province is providing over 70pc country's total hydel power generation to national grid
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has said the province has the right to its resources, adding the provincial government will go to court for payment of arrears from the federation.
A meeting was held under the chairmanship of CM Sohail Afridi regarding the ongoing projects and important matters of the Energy and Electricity Department.
The CM said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hydel power, oil, gas and LPG resources are meeting a significant part of the country's needs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is providing more than 70 percent of the country's total hydel power generation to the national grid.
Due to the lack of a provincial transmission line, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is forced to sell the electricity it generates to the federation. On the other hand, NHP's arrears to the federation under the AGN Kazi Formula have exceeded 2300 billion.
The briefing was informed that under the first interim arrangement, the federal government still has arrears of more than Rs 78 billion under the regular NHP. Despite generating more than 70 percent of the country's hydel electricity, Punjab is receiving more money than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the NHP.
According to the briefing, in the last three years, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received Rs87.7 billion in NHP, while Punjab received Rs160.8 billion. The CM said that the financial situation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was being affected due to delay and disproportion in the payment of NHP.
The CM said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is establishing a provincial transmission and grid system for reliable electricity supply and industrial needs.
Sohail Afridi said that the provincial transmission line project is very profitable, many countries want to invest in it. He said that despite the natural resources and energy production, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not getting the benefits of their resources, which is a violation of the Constitution.
The issue should be raised firmly and formally with the federal government to protect the rights of the province, he added.
