Legislators urge construction of Bhasha dam

The National Assembly on Wednesday continued debate on power crisis, increase in petroleum prices and other issues and legislators from treasury and opposition stressed the need to initiate Bhasha dam construction and a number of other projects to reduce power crisis.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N said people are enduring scheduled and non-scheduled power loadshedding, while agriculture products have registered sharp decrease. The construction work on Bhasha dam should be initiated as soon as possible. Pervaiz Malik of PML-N said there is a whopping gap between demand and supply of electricity. The deficit of power has touched 8000MW. People are greatly perturbed with the power load shedding. Industries are being shifted to Bangladesh and other countries. Referring to recent payments to power sector he said only 11 billion payment to PEPCO will not resolve the crisis, long term policies should be devised to clear Rs140 billion circular debt.
Power generation plants are being run on low capacity. The ongoing projects including Nandipur power project should be completed on priority. Urging to end gas load shedding he stressed to ensure judicious use of flood relief funds being contributed nowadays. He also criticized deletion of votes from the voter lists by Election Commission of Pakistan. Mohammad Usman Advocate said electricity crisis has disturbed the routine life in the country.Whole country is in the state of agony and indignation.
In various areas of Balochistan, electricity comes only for two hours. Balochistan needs 1200 MW power but only 750MW are being provided to the province. He suggested importing more electricity from Iran. Work should be initiated on solar, wind and coal power projects.
Shireen Arshad Khan said people are protesting load shedding. It concerns people a lot. Ninety two legislators of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) will raise the issues of people in government circles.
She also underlined the problems of flood hit people of Sindh. People who pay bills honestly should be provided electricity on priority basis. Farahnaz Isphani castigated PML-N for raising only Punjab issues. She urged the PML-N leaders to raise issues of whole country. PML-N should not be confined to Punjab only.
Fauzia Wahab while castigating the opposition said President Asif Ali Zardari has been elected unanimously from the three provinces. The president has sizable support in Punjab also.
About power crisis she said the PPP government has increased 4000 MW in the system and soon target of producing 14000 MW would be achieved. After the sacking of PPP government in 1996, its power producing projects had been sabotaged by PML-N government. She blamed Musharraf government for the menace of circular debt.
Taking part in debate on load-shedding, price hike in petroleum products, JUI-F MNA Asiya Nasir said the government has failed to fulfill its promises made with the nation, adding that today people have come to streets in protest against loadshedding, price hike and for their rights. She said the people are disappointed and they have no hope about any improvement in their lives. The government has not given any viable solution to the problems of the masses, she remarked. The state run institutions like PIA, Pakistan Railways and other government entities are going towards bankruptcy, she observed.
ANP leader Bushra Gohar said that people have come to streets against power outage, it is their right to protest but they should have to refrain from causing any damage to lives and properties of the people and the government.
She criticized the government for deteriorating health conditions in the country, adding that it is responsibility of the government to provide basic facilities to the people but there is no plan or strategy to resolve the issues of the nation.
She said the government has to end up politics and it should have to give an out of box solution to the problems. She said the discretionary funds of parliamentarians should be used for health and education, adding that measures need to be taken to eliminate the curse of corruption.
He said the recovery ratio is very less in KPK, Balochistan as there is no industry in these provinces, but all the DISCOs in Punjab have made a considerable amount.
He said as per the information Rs30 billion are required to upgrade the exiting system to reduce the line losses as the feeders and grid stations are overloaded.