PESHAWAR    -  The Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa government has decided to fur­ther improve the production bonus guide­lines issued for the better use of revenues in the districts with oil and gas production capacity and to involve the district admin­istrations of the respective districts in the consultation process.

The working has been started on form­ing committees for the purpose of using the income from oil and gas reserves dis­covered in Dera Ismail Khan and North Waziristan in the development process in the respective districts so that the popula­tion related to the natural resources of oil and gas can be maximum benefited.

In this regard, in the light of the instruc­tions issued by Chief Minister Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa, the Energy and Power Depart­ment organised a one-day consultation seminar at a local hotel here on Friday regarding the improvement of the guide­lines of production bonus funds in the dis­tricts with oil and gas.

Tashfeen Haider, Special Secretary Ener­gy and Power while Additional Secretary Oil and Gas Akhlaq Ahmed, Deputy Sec­retaries Asif Ali, Javed Afridi and the rep­resentative of companies working for the production of oil and gas, Mari Petroleum, Al Haj Petroleum Companies, Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company and dis­trict administration were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Special Sec­retary Tashfeen Haider said that out of 42 percent of the country’s crude oil produc­tion, about 30 thousand barrels of oil per day was being produced in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa. He said that oil and gas were be­ing produced at 16 places in the south­ern districts of the province, Kohat, Karak, Hangu and Lakki Marwat, from which the province was getting billions of rupees in the form of royalties and Federal Excise Duty on gas.

Tashfeen said that the KP Energy De­partment was determined to increase the production capacity of oil and gas in the province, which would help the develop­ment and stability of the economy in the coming period.

Addressing the seminar, Additional Sec­retary Akhlaq Ahmed Khan said that af­ter the discovery of oil and gas in Lucky Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan and North Wa­ziristan, the provincial government has started work on forming committees un­der consultation to improve production guidelines bonuses. The development funds will be utilized in a transparent manner through the local representation of these districts.

Meanwhile, a group discussion was also held to include the consultation and sug­gestions of the seminar participants. At the end of the seminar, Special Secretary Tashfeen Haider said that a dashboard in­cluding members of district administra­tion, Energy and Power, Planning and De­velopment and Finance Departments to be made soon.