News
Sunday, January 30, 2011
BA demands end to power outages in Balochistan
* Lawmakers say use of alternate sources like wind energy for power generation may yield results in six months
QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly adopted a resolution demanding the restoration of subsidy on electricity bills for farmers, expediting work on laying the Dadu-Khuzdar and Dera Ghazi Khan-Loralai power transmission lines and increase in the electricity supply to the province to end load shedding.
During Saturday’s proceedings, presided over by Speaker Aslam Bhootani, power outages came under strong criticism from lawmakers, particularly ministers. Talking on an adjournment motion tabled by PML-Q’s Jaffar Mandokhail, lawmakers strongly criticised the prolonged electricity load shedding in parts of Balochistan saying the power outages had destroyed the agriculture sector of the province.
PPP parliamentary leader and provincial Communication and Works Minister Sadiq Umrani said about 90 percent population of the province was connected with agriculture, adding power outages have badly damaged the economy of the province.
Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi suggested that alternate means for power generation be adopted. Legislators must be informed about the status of the Alternate Energy Board, which has recently been constituted to overcome the electricity shortage crisis, she added.
Health Minister Ainullah Shams, endorsing Hashmi’s demand, said Balochistan was rich in natural resources and the coal being extracted from Chamalang, Dukki and Mach regions could be used for power generation. Industries and Commerce Minister Ahsan Shah said power production plants, including Och, Hubco and Habibullah, were producing more electricity than the requirement of the province, adding appropriate measures could resolve the issue effectively.
He deplored that Makran division, which got 35 MW electricity from Iran, was suffering hard due to load shedding and demanded that the federal government ink an agreement with Iran to buy more electricity for the region. The speaker said the chief minister has taken up the issue with the prime minister and expressed the hope that it would be resolved soon. Other ministers, including Habibur Rehman Muhammad Hasni, Shahnawaz Marri, Fauzia Marri, Asim Kurd Gailu, Captain Abdul Khaliq Achakzai and Basant Lal Gulshan, also criticised power load shedding and demanded an immediate end to the problem. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk