Plan devised to overcome power crisis in 3 years
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The Federal Cabinet was informed on Wednesday that in three years time there will be no load-shedding in the country. While briefing journalists in after the Cabinet meeting here, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Sherry Rehman said that “ Prime Minister directed Minister for Water and Power that the energy policy should be prepared keeping in view the situation on ground and submit the same to the Cabinet Urgently for approval.”
She said the Prime Minister advised that “steps be taken on war footing for the implementation of the energy policy.” The challenge of energy shortage, he said, requires a fast track approach to minimize the problems of the people. The water & Power Minister said that since the government took oath, 310 MW had already been brought into the system.
Secretary Water & Power in his briefing on energy shortage apprised the Cabinet that gap in demand and supply is increasing with the approaching summer. The minister said the Cabinet was informed that at present the country is short of about 33 per cent electricity of the total need.
This means that 8 hours load-shedding has to be distributed rationally between the industrial and domestic consumers. 7000 MW exist in the system and 5000 MW were set-up by our previous PPP government under Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, she added.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the government would give priority to infrastructure development and provision of basic health and education facilities in Sindh particularly the rural areas to bring them at par with developed parts of the country.
While talking to MNAs of the ruling coalition belonging to rural Sindh here at his Parliament House Chamber this evening, the Prime Minister said the government has inherited a depleted economy because of the wrong policies of the previous government and reaffirmed the government’s commitment of taking both short term and long term measures for providing relief to the people.
He assured that the government was taking steps for increasing employment opportunities for the people, particularly in the underdeveloped areas, and would improve the working of Pakistan Baitul Maal and Zakat & Ushr departments for assisting in the alleviation of poverty.
The Prime Minister said he is holding a series of meetings with MNAs from all the provinces in order to get first hand information on the needs of different areas of the country, and also informed that the ban on inter-district movement of wheat and Atta has been lifted in order to improve the availability of Atta at reasonable price to the consumers. He said an inter-provincial meeting would also be called soon to formulate a joint strategy for resolving the Atta crisis.
The MNAs apprised the Prime Minister of various matters relating to their constituencies including health and education facilities, lining of canals and water courses, provision of electricity, gas and clean drinking water and unemployment. And thanked the Prime Minister for announcing Rs. 10 million for every MNA for meeting the immediate development needs of their respective areas.
They informed him that the people of Sindh were appreciative of the government’s decision of increasing wheat support price, and also briefed him on the law and order situation in their areas particularly Interior Sindh and said that changes need to be made in the Local Government System and the Police Ordinance.
The Federal Cabinet was informed on Wednesday that in three years time there will be no load-shedding in the country. While briefing journalists in after the Cabinet meeting here, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Sherry Rehman said that “ Prime Minister directed Minister for Water and Power that the energy policy should be prepared keeping in view the situation on ground and submit the same to the Cabinet Urgently for approval.