PM for comprehensive electricity plan for upcoming winter season

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ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh while heading Energy Committee would hold its meeting at least once every fortnight to ensure optimal power generation during the coming winters. The Secretaries' Committee comprised Secretary Water and Power, Secretary Petroleum and Natural Resources and Secretary Finance.

This decision was taken at a high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf at the Prime Minister's House this morning held to review the current power situation in the country. The meeting discussed at length various aspects related to the power situation including recoveries, line losses, electricity and oil theft.

The Secretary Water and Power briefed the Prime Minister about various steps taken by the Ministry to improve efficiency, management and governance in the power sector.

The Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Water and Power to chalk out a comprehensive plan for coming winters clearly identifying targets including power generation along with fuel requirements in the country appreciating the steps taken by the Ministry of Water and Power. The Prime Minister emphasized on the need to make foolproof arrangements to ensure that the targets set out in the plan by the Ministry are achieved. In this connection, he directed the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to coordinate with Ministries of Finance and Water and Power and work out a fuel supply plan for the next five months.

The meeting was also informed that hydel and solar energy plants having generation capacity of 500 to 600 Mega Watt would be added to the National Grid by March 2013 which would further improve the current power situation.

The Prime Minister appreciated the progress made by the Ministries of Water and Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources and Finance in improving the power situation in the country and expressed the confidence that all out efforts will be made to sustain this momentum.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Minister for Finance, Choudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Minister for Water and Power and Dr Asim Hussain, Advisor to PM on Petroleum and Natural Resources.

End.