MULTAN, Dec 05 (APP): State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali Monday said that construction work on Diamer Bhasha and Dasu dams would be started from next year.
Addressing a press conference here at MEPCO headquarters, he said that 90 percent land for Diamer Bhasha Dam has been acquired and remaining would be acquired soon.
He said the Dasu dam was being built with the funding of world bank and construction work on both dams would be started from next year.
Abid Sher Ali said that the inauguration of Diamer Bhasha dam had
been initiated by Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister
Yusuf Raza Gilani and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in their tenures but no practical work was started.
The Minister said funds of Rs 2.69 billion had been given to provide electricity at remaining areas of the country adding that funds of Rs 2.1 billion had also been approved for maintenance of the system in order to minimize life risks.
He said a project of 1320 megawatt in Sahiwal and another of 1320 megawatt in Port Qasim was being completed within the period of 28 months.
He said the Sahiwal project would be made operational between April
and May 2017. He claimed that 10,000 megawatt electricty would be added in the system from March 2018 and there would be no loadshedding in the country.
He maintained that loadshedding would be observed in the areas of power theft and high losses while loadshedding was being observed at 56 high loss feeders of MEPCO region.
Abid added that not even a single evidence has been provided to the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the prime minister on Panama case.
He said that some anti state elements had also put allegation of rigging on the PML(N) which he added was not proved and those elements would again fail this time.
To a question, state minister said that participation in Heart of Asia Conference was a good decision and it was being appreciated across the world.
He said that India was trying to isolate Pakistan but it failed due to
effective foreign policy of the government.
Abid said that every decision of the Supreme Court on Panama case
would be accepted. To another querry, Abid Sher Ali said that national action plan was successfully continuing to eliminate terrorism from the country.
