Federal Water and Power Minister Musadiq Malik on Thursday said the Ministry of Finance is not releasing Rs 22.5 billion approved by the prime minister for power production.
Addressing a press conference, he said that water and power officials hold meetings with the officials of the ministry but did not release the required amount.
He said, “We increased 30 to 40 percent power production through our own collections and running IPPs from our own sources.”
He said, “We lost 800 megawatt from our system due to annual turnaround of a plant that was providing 150MMCFD gas.”
Malik said, “We have to change our priorities. Incentives will be given to private investors in power production, if it is not facilitated then government will have to invest by its own in this sector.”
He said, “We have to increase our capacity to 22,000 megawatt and production cost should be reduced to Rs 9 per unit despite Rs 13.94 per unit currently. Subsidy should be only limited for the poor people.”
The minister said, “We have to improve our efficiencies because our gas plants are less efficient than Bangladesh. We have to make regulatory framework to address such issues and have to remove all old policies.”
He said, “Eight hundred megawatt in our system has never been utilised due to certain technical faults as only a fan is damaged in Guddu power plant and due to this the whole power plant is non-functional.”
To a question about his resignation, the minister said he had announced earlier, however, during such trying times it was no more than just jugglery to resign.
“If I was aware about such situation that how much I will be helpless in release of funds then I never accepted the responsibility of water and power minister,” Malik commented.
“Today we are producing 10400 megawatt and shortfall is of 5,000 megawatt therefore urban areas are facing 10 to 12 hours while rural areas are facing 14 hours load shedding,” he informed.
