Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed to move a summary to the Council of Common Interest (CCI), containing recommendations of the provincial government, to safeguard its interests in the gas sector.

This he said, while presiding over a meeting regarding unbundling of the gas sector by the federal government, at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat Peshawar, here on Thursday. Chief Secretary, Amjad Ali Khan, administrative secretaries of the concerned departments, Chief Executive Officer KP Oil & Gas Company and other concerned officials attended the meeting. The meeting was told that the federal government had decided unilaterally the unbundling of SNGPL /SSGC, ignoring the consent of the provinces through the Economic Coordination Committee. The process was meant to finance RLNG transmission and LNG imports to Punjab at the expense of other three provinces, the meeting was told, adding that the process was based on imports and not indigenous gas. It was also revealed that according to the proposed unbundling structure by the federal government, there would be one national company for transmission, with four distribution companies at the provincial level. Resultantly, financial losses would be compensated out of provincial royalties which was totally against the interest of the province, the participants of the meeting were told.

The meeting proposed that exploration, production, transmission and distribution should be under a single company controlled at the provincial level through a cohesive system.

The meeting was further told that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 32 per cent and 53 per cent shares in SNGPL and SSGCL respectively, giving them legal power to have its own company.

The chief minister said, “We will have to act quickly to safeguard the interests of the province at the CCI, the constitutional forum for protecting our rights and interests.” He made it clear that his government would never compromise on the rights and interests of the province. He authorised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Energy and Power Department to negotiate with the federal government and ordered to move a summary in this regard.

Bus rapid transit project: Pervez Khattak also directed the authorities concerned to identify different stations and sites for the proposed Peshawar bus rapid transit project to be initiated towards the end of this year.

He was presiding over a meeting here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat Peshawar on Thursday.

Special Assistant to the CM for Transport, Malik Shah Mohammad Wazir, Head of Strategic Support Unit, SahibzadaSaeed, Administrative Secretaries of the concerned departments and quarters concerned also attended the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, the chiefminister asked the quarters concerned to widen and clear the alternative routes for diversion of traffic once the project was put on ground. The traffic flow should not be hindered, he added. He also directed for the expansion of overhead bridges, roads and underpasses and plan commercial activities there.

The chief minister directed the Commissioner Peshawar, Secretaries Transport, Local Government and the DG PDA, to visit different corridors of the proposed Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit and identify the sites and stations. He said that there should be full facilities including waiting places, washrooms, water etc.

The chief minister ordered the addition of an additional line in the proposed corridors of the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit.

He made it clear that work on the corridors would be started this year therefore the concerned departments should finalise their arrangements so that the vehicular flow was unhindered. He directed to complete the project within the time frame as this was the project giving one solution for integrating the whole traffic of Peshawar city on a permanent basis and it should be planned so, comprehensively catering to the future needs of Peshawar city. He also directed to put on fast track the overall beautification projects and complete them within the time frame adding that the cleanliness and disposal of waste should be properly monitored.