LAHORE (July 28 2006): Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has announced the Punjab Power Generation Policy 2006, under which power projects would be undertaken by public and private sectors individually or with mutual collaboration.

As many as 48 sites have been identified at different canals in the province where hydel power projects of 500 megawatts would be set up. He was presiding over a high-level meeting at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Thursday.

Provincial Minister for Power Armughan Subhani, Punjab Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, Chairman Planning & Development Suleman Ghani, Secretary Planning and Development Sohail Ahmad and Chief Engineer Power Muhammad Yaqub and other senior officers were present. Secretary Irrigation and Power, Arif Nadeem gave a detailed briefing regarding Power Generation Policy 2006.

The chief minister said that Punjab Power Development Board had been constituted which would be responsible for implementation of Punjab Power Policy. He said that local and foreign investment would be encouraged in power generation sector and implementation of Punjab Power Policy would not only help in the provision of low cost electricity to the masses but would also leave a positive impact on agriculture and industrial sectors.

The CM said that hydel power projects of international standard would be constructed. He added that Punjab government would give a practical shape to Khokhara Hydro Power Project near Mandi Bahauddin with a cost of Rs 260 million. He said that five hydro power generation projects at Okara, Pakpattan, Sheikhupura, Gujranawala and Marala (Sialkot) will be initiated with the co-operation of Asian Development Bank (ADB) which would produce 25 megawatt electricity. He said that under Punjab Power Generation Policy, the possibilities of generation of energy from thermal, solar and other sources would also be explored.

Arif Nadeem informed the meeting that Punjab Power Development Board would allocate different sites to private investors in a transparent manner for hydro power projects and Punjab development board, headed by chief minister Punjab, would provide all out facilities to private investors under one window operation.