PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will start construction work on 300 megawatts Balakot Hydro Power Project, the biggest provincial hydro power project to be initiated with assistance of Asian Development Bank, this year. An approval was accorded to appoint consultant for initiating practical work on this mega power project at the 48th meeting of Provincial Energy Development Organization (PEDO), a press release said here on Sunday. The meeting was held here with Chairman Board, Nisar Muhammad Khan in the chair and attended by Additional Secretary Energy, Zafarul Islam Khattak, Hassan Nasir Khan, Abdus Siddiq, Arbab Khudadad, Bakht Zaman and Chief Executive PEDO, Engineer Naeem Khan and board members. The meeting was told that after proper tendering process approval for the agreement for the project has also been obtained. The meeting also approved new service structure for PEDO employees in a bid to bring reforms in the organization. Chief Executive PEDO informed the meeting that Balakot Hydro Project was the biggest and most important power project for the province and its completion on urgent basis was a challenge for us. He said this gigantic project would be completed within seven years of time with an estimated cost of $722 million.  He further informed that 80 percent of the total amount i.e. $580 million will be provided by the Asian Development Bank while the provincial government will provide rest of expenditures from its own resources.