MAJHOI (Azad Kashmir): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Friday said his government was committed to complete all power projects on schedule, so as to rid the country of frequent power outages and to boost industrial growth.
The prime minister made these remarks when he along with Ministers for Finance Ishaq Dar, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Information Pervez Rasheed, arrived in Muzaffarabad on Friday to review the progress on Neelum Jhelum project.
The prime minister were given a detailed briefing on the progress in the project, and was informed that over 82 per cent of work has been completed while efforts were underway to complete it on time.
Following a detailed briefing on the project, the prime minister directed further speeding up the work so as to hasten the pace of national progress and development.
“We will do our best to fulfill the promises made to the nation, to end loadshedding from the country,” the prime minister said.
“Who would be more worried than me,” Nawaz Sharif said and added “we would not let any obstacle come in the way, in this regard.”
The prime minister also directed that the locals be given preference in jobs in the Neelum Jhelum project.
The Chief Executive Officer of the project informed the prime minister that 78 per cent jobs have been given to the locals.
Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Raja Farooq Haider, Special Assistant on Political Affairs Dr Asif Kirmani were also present on the occasion.
The prime minister is personally overseeing the mega Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP), designed to produce 969 MW of cheap hydel electricity and lessen reliance on thermal power generation.
The project envisages diversion of Neelum waters through tunnels at Nauseri about 41 km upstream of Muzaffarabad and draining the waters in Jhelum River at Chatter Kalas in AJK, where the powerhouse will be located.
The project would produce 969 MW through its four turbines of 242.25 MW each, generating 5,150 GWh (5.15 billion units) annually.
The project was launched on January 2008 and would be completed by mid of 2017. The project is being completed by the China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC).
