ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR - The delegations of the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments, at a meeting held at the Ministry of Water and Power on Friday, decided to urgently resolve all issues, including due share of electricity and arrears of net hydel profit.
The meeting was held in pursuance of a recent agreement between Federal Water and Power Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to resolve various matters relating to the province through talks.
The KP team was led by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and comprised provincial ministers, Shahram Khan Tarakai, Muzaffar Syed, Muhammad Atif, Mian Jamsheduddin Kakakhel, and high-ups of the provincial departments concerned while federal ministers, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Abid Sher Ali, assisted by the relevant secretaries and government authorities like FBR, Wapda and SNGPL etc, represented the Centre.
With regard to the power loadshedding, it was decided that KP would be given its share of electricity first and then Pesco would distribute it among the areas on the basis of recovery of charges in close consultation with the provincial government. The provincial government would provide to Pesco maximum possible assistance in recovery of electricity charges from the consumers and eradication of power theft. It was also decided that a strategy for controlling loadshedding would be finalised in the presence of Federal Minister Khawaja Asif who would especially visit Peshawar for this purpose on May 26.
With regard to the development works, supply of transformers and electricity connections to various public-sector organisations like schools, colleges, irrigation and public health, the federal minister directed the authorities concerned to meet all such requirements of the province on urgent basis, particularly when the latter had made advance payment of it since long. The federal government also assured the KP province of fully supporting in encouraging private entrepreneurs to make investment in the hydro-power generation projects already planned by the provincial government. It was also agreed that work on the construction of Munda Dam on the River Kabul would be expedited and the proposal of the KP government for constructing two barrages on the River Swat would be considered seriously.
A number of broad parameters were fixed for regular payment of arrears to the province on account of net hydel power profit while the federal and provincial governments as well as Wapda would remain in close contact to resolve this longstanding issue once for all.
With regard to the collection and payment of federal duty of on oil, payment of windfall levy on oil and gas to the provinces in terms of Petroleum Policy, 2012, and collection and payment of royalty on LPG to them as per constitutional provisions, it was decided that the authorities concerned would jointly prepare cases and agreements and get them vetted by the Ministry of Law. The same would be submitted to the government for approval within a week.
In respect of payment against the use of additional water of KP by the other provinces, it was decided that its details would be worked out with Irsa after which a final and comprehensive decision would be made. It was also agreed that the share of the province would be increased in Federal PSDP while every effort would be made to ensure its timely, regular and full release in future.
It was also agreed that the provincial government would extend full support in registration of FIRs, police action against defaulters, power theft and corruption in the power sector.
Khawaja Aisf offered to assist the provincial government in identification of solar power projects’ site and facilitation in development in the IPP mode on the pattern of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park.
He further directed the Pesco to immediately take steps for power purchase agreement of Pehwr Project and calculate its liabilities in close coordination with KP Energy Department.
On the matters relating to the Finance Division, the federal finance minister assured the KP team of addressing all the matters on priority. He directed the FBR chairman to hold an in-depth meeting with the provincial revenue and excise authorities to discuss the problems and find out their possible solutions.
Similarly, on the issues pertaining to the petroleum sector, the federal petroleum minister held a detailed discussion with the delegation.
The meeting agreed to continue coordination and sharing of data at expert level for amicable and viable solution of the problems relating to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.