Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has said that the government has set its priority to generate power through coal, wind mill and coal gasification with objective to meet the energy crisis under short and mid terms plans as power generation through hydro electricity needed time after completion of series of hydel projects initiated by the present government.

Addressing the executive committee of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here at HCCI Secretariat on Saturday after noon, the minister said that the present government had received the energy crisis due to wrong policies of the past regimes, however, the government while realizing that no economic development can be achieved without energy has initiated measures under short, mid and long terms strategies for power generation and meet the energy crisis.

Under the said strategy, he said that the government priority is to generate energy through coal by utilizing the available reservoirs of the country. Though, the country possessed huge coal reservoir in Tharparkar of Sindh province, but its need time till the availability of required infrastructure for mining, processing and grading of coal.

The blocks which are being hired by the investors at large indicating mega power generation through Thar Coal very soon, the minister said and added that until the availability of required infrastructure for utilization of Thar Coal, the government has decided to import coal from other countries and also utilize the Sunda Coal reserves for coal power projects, which established under short term strategy and would be completed during current financial year. Under coal gasification, the minister informed that a project has been launched in Thar Coal and hopefully it will start power generation of 150 megawatts next year. Similarly, under the strategy of power generation through wind mills, projects have been initiated at Jhampeer Corridor, the ideal place for the purpose, he said.

Syed Naveed Qamar said that no foreign investor can invest without required infrastructure and the other government is making all possible efforts to provide required infrastructure to attract the foreign investors in making investment in energy sector.

He informed that the government has also initiated numbers of projects to meet the gas crisis. Due to shortage of gas, the government has preferred to established power projects with utilization of other resources, he added.

The minister informed that the government has also allowed the provinces to establish their own power projects and share the meeting of energy crisis. Earlier, the provinces have restriction of 50 megawatts power generation, but the government has now exempted the provinces from such restriction, he added.

About upfront tariff for private sector power generation projects, the minister informed that the matter is under consideration with NEPRA and hopefully it will be settled soon.

Talking about power distribution system, Federal Minister for Water and Power said that the government fully desired to replace the outdated power distribution system by introducing latest technologies in this field.

The power stealing and non payment of electricity bills are the main causes of revenue and line losses to power distribution companies and the government wanted to control line losses and increase revenue generation with introduction of modern system, the minister said and emphasized the need of pointing out the persons involved in stealing power so that the rights of genuine power consumers could be protected.

Talking about fuel adjustment charge, the minister said that it though related with fluctuations in oil prices, but the genuine consumers also suffer from it due to power theft, therefore, the issue could be resolved by taking action against power thieves. The minister however agreed that collection of monthly fuel adjustment charge instead to four to five months charges at once from the consumers.