Daily Times

Minister for Power Division Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan on Wednesday said that the incumbent government has added cheap 3800 megawatts (MW) indigenous electricity in the national grid system in just one year which would gradually help reduce power tariff.

Addressing at a gathering after inaugurating 132 KV Grid Station Sohawa (District Jhelum), the minister said over 2000 MW alone electricity was added to the system from local Thar coal during the said period. 1320 MW Shanghai Electric, ThalNova, Karot hydropower project and K-3 Karachi Nuclear Power Plant project have started generation electricity since inception of the incumbent coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he added.

He said the grid was approved in 2016 as a part of the country’s development agenda of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government led by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. However, the past government created hurdles in the development of the country during 2018-2022 and stopped work on entire development projects, he added. The incumbent government since its inception last year, again revived the development agenda and the inauguration of the grid station in a short time was also one of its example, he said.

He said the grid station which was completed with an estimated cost of Rs 391 million would not only help improve voltage but also ensure supply of smooth power to the consumers. He was confident that the grid would also help reduce line losses of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and benefit the consumers. He said the grid station would also help setting up flour mills, feeder mills and other industries as it would help address low voltage issue in the areas. The grid station was gift from the PML-N leadership Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif to the local people, he added.