Adding he said that Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had dreamed it in 1994 and now Sindh Govt offered the real interpretation of the dream in 2019, by inaugurating the 660 megawatts (MW) Power plant in Thar adding that “Thar ne Badla Pakistan”.Speaking to an inaugural ceremony of Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL) 660 MW Power plant in Thar Block-II, on Wednesday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed pleasure that following the PPP policies, Sindh Govt moving forward to the vision of Shaheed ZB and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto by inaugurating the 660 megawatts (MW) power plant in Thar.
Chairman PPP said that 10th April was remain glorious to Pakistan People Party mentioning that Shaheed ZB had given us legal constitution of 1973 in same date of month of April.He said that PPP provincial Govt was delivering nice, the power plant of Thar was the evidence which was adding 660 MW to National gird adding that it was his mother who had first introduced the concept of public-private partnership in her 1993 manifesto. “I am happy that the fruit of your blood sweat and tears was being added to the national grid,” he said while also announcing that the Sindh government will provide free electricity to the residents of Islamkot and the general Thar area once the project starts running.
He said that according to report of “Economist Publication of Britain” that Sindh was on the number of six on its list for best development under scheme of Private Public Partnership (PPP) in South Asia subcontinent.
PPP Chairman said that he was happy that 70pc local people of Thar were provided the employment through the project adding that all basic facilities would also be provided by Sindh Govt to the people of Thar.
Adding, he expressed that royalty of this mega project would be given to Thar foundation, (an NGO) for the welfare and development of the local residents of Thar Desert.He termed a project “Engro Powergen Thar Limited (EPTL) 660 MW Power plant in Thar Block-II” as successful project of Sindh Govt under Private Public Partnership in Pakistan.Bilawal also pledged the establishment of a campus of NED University of Engineering and Technology in Thar. “The engineering disciplines that will be taught in the university will benefit the dwellers of Thar greatly,” he said adding that Sindh Govt would also start is working on “Multi-Disciplinary University” in Thar.“I visited the housing society that has been created to rehabilitate the people who were affected by the coal power project. I have to say, there have been many projects created all over the country but I have not seen the people affected by those projects rehabilitated in such a manner” he added.
He said that as we have no provincial mechanism to distribute the power at local level, hence Sindh Govt was adding this generated power to national gird at Faisal Abad which according to him was injustice with people of Thar. He also announced to provide electricity free of cost to the people of Thar amid to pay compensation of their resource.
Bilawal earlier announced on Twitter that he had inaugurated the power plant, describing it as the “highest man-made structure in Pakistan”.
On the occasion, Sayed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sindh, Sayed Qaim Ali Shah, former Chief Minister Sindh, Imtiaz Shaikh, provincial Minister, Sindh, Khurshid Anwar Jamali, Chairman, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, Samand Daud and others also addressed the participants of the inaugural ceremony.
The power plant has the capacity to generate 660 megawatts (MW) of electricity. It consists of two power generation units of 330MW each. The project was completed under a public-private partnership in 10 years’ time. It is part of a portfolio of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.
The Sindh government has provided a sovereign guarantee of $700 million for the project.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had welcomed Bilawal at the Thar Coal Field Block-II, after which the two had inspected newly-built houses for people who were affected by the coal power plant.
http://www.thesindhtimes.com/pak/sindh-govt-moving-forward-vision-shaheed-benazir-bhutto-bilawal/
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