K-P developing grid, transmission system

Afridi urges fair share of hydrocarbon resources Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREENGRAB Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was informed on Tuesday that the province was developing its own transmission and grid system to ensure reliable electricity transmission and meet the requirements of industry. The chief minister called for the protection of the province's constitutional rights over its hydropower and natural resources, saying that the province is generating significant energy for the country, and the people of K-P needed to be provided fair share of the benefits. He made the remarks while presiding over a meeting on ongoing projects and key matters of the energy and power department. The chief minister said Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's hydropower, oil, gas and LPG resources were playing an important role in meeting the country's energy needs. The province was supplying more than 70 per cent of the country's total hydel power generation to the national grid. However, he said, the absence of a provincial transmission line had forced Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to sell the electricity. The chief minister directed officials to present the provincial transmission line project at an investors' conference. Described the project as highly profitable, he said several countries were interested in investing in it. According to the briefing, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa produces around 530 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, while its daily consumption stands at approximately 200 million cubic feet. The briefing further said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa produces around 850 tonnes of LPG per day against daily consumption of approximately 600 tonnes. The province also contributes 48 percent of the country's crude oil production and 38 percent of its LPG production. Sohail Afridi directed officials to raise the province's rights with the federal government through a strong and formal mechanism. Meanwhile, the chief minister held a meeting with a delegation of tobacco growers from Bonair to address the severe crisis they are facing due to the non-purchase of their ready crop. The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister Riaz Khan, MPA Abdul Kabir Khan, Syed Salar Bacha, and the Secretary of Excise, among others. The delegation provided a detailed briefing on their issues, highlighting the immense financial hardship they are enduring. In response, Chief Minister took immediate notice and issued a series of firm directives to resolve the matter. He ordered the convening of a meeting with the Chairman of the Pakistan Tobacco Board to ensure the growers' concerns are heard.