CM telephones to Federal Minister Water & Power; demands provision of eight hours’ electricity supply as per agreement

Independent Report

QUETTA: The Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti has contacted the Federal Minister for Power and Water and other concerned authorities and demanded them of supplying electricity to the province for eigh hours as per the agreement already decided.
The Chief Minister stressed that permanent solution has to be found out for resolving the issues of subsidy on electricity to the agricultural sector.
He said that we would be paying to WAPDA for restoration of electricity for 15 to 20,000 families associated with the agriculture.
The Chief Minister said that the present provincial government has already given Rs.2 billion on account of the subsidy and would pay the even amount further.
He asserted that if the whole development budget is given in the subsidy, even then the electricity issues would not be resolved.
The Chief Minister was in meeting with the representative delegation of Zamindar Action Committee who called on him here on Saturday.
The leader of Zamindar Action Committee and former MPA Malik Naseer Shahwani led the delegation.
During the course of meeting, the zamindars apprised the Chief Minister about the issues being faced by growers of the province due to long hours electricity load shedding particularly in rural areas of the province.
The Chief Minister gave patient hearing to the issues of growers and assured to speak to the federal government.
He assured that a delegation of the members of provincial assembly from the province would be meeting the Prime Minister on Monday about the implementation on southern Balochistan development package.
He said that we would also be taking up the issues of zamindars with the federal authorities as their Advocate.
Referring the solarization of agricultural tube wells in the province, the Chief Minister said that Rs. 75 billion are required for solarization of the agricultural tube wells.
However, adding he assured that the federal government would be approached for financial assistance in this regard.
If there was no progress from the federation, then the matter of taking soft term loan from the private banks, the Chief Minister said.
He on the occasion ordered to the Customs, Police and all other law enforcement agencies not to stop movement of the solar panels.