MINGORA, April 30: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti inaugurated the 10-year Hydro Power Generation Action Plan of the provincial government by opening work on Dral Khawar Power Project in Bahrain here on Monday.

According to the action plan, 24 projects would be initiated in the province to generate 2,100 megawatts electricity. The action plan would cost Rs330 billion.

“The action plan has been prepared in consultation with all political parties to ensure its continuity,” the chief minister said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the project.

He said that the power generation projects would prove instrumental in self-sufficiency and development of the province besides ending loadshedding.

The chief minister termed inauguration of work on Dral Khawar project a historical moment. The project having a capacity of generating 36.6 megawatts electricity would be completed within three years at a cost of Rs7 billion.

Mr Hoti said that protection to the rights of local people was his top priority. He said that the project wouldn’t affect environment. The project would no effects on water for drinking and irrigation purposes, he added.

He said that sacrifices of the people of Swat for protection of country and nation had become a bright chapter of history. “Extremists are enemies of development and peace and their thinking is limited to their interests,” he added.

ANP central leader Afzal Khan Lala, Senior Minister Rahimdad Khan, Minister Wajid Ali Khan, MPA Jafar Shah, Sher Shah, Rehmat Ali, Noor Sehr, ANP provincial general secretary Arbab Mohammad Tahir, vice president Eng Abbas, ANP local office-bearers, Malakand commissioner and district coordination officer were also present on the occasion.

The chief minister said that preference would be given to locals in recruitment for the project. “The province has a capacity to generate 30,000 megawatts electricity and 24 areas have been identified for utilising this capacity under public and private partnership,” he said.

Mr Hoti said that work on 11 projects would be started soon while feasibility reports of the remaining 13 schemes were being prepared. He said that those projects would be carried out with the assistance of national and foreign investors. “Foreign investment in this connection will be welcomed,” he said.

The chief minister said that all political parties had promised to keep the action plan continue. He said that the amount of hydel profit would be spent on setting up power units.

Responding to the welcome address by MPA Jafar Shah, the chief minister approved Rs20 million and Rs600,000 for water supply and sewerage system respectively in Bahrain, Rs20 million for resettlement of the people to be affected by the project and Rs200 million for setting up a degree college in the area.

He said that work on reconstruction of Maden-Kalam Road that was washed away by floods would be started soon with the assistance of Saudi Arabia. The chief minister thanked UAE, Saudi Arabia, UK and other friend countries for their assistance in reconstruction activities in Swat.

Mr Hoti said that peace was restored in Swat owing to sacrifices rendered by personnel of army and police.

He said that he would inaugurate Mataltan Hydro Power Project in June that would generate 84 megawatts electricity. He said that the newly built Gamen Bridge would be inaugurated soon.