THATTA, Jan 22: Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi performed ground-breaking ceremony of the first wind power plant of the country in Jhampir town on Monday.

Turkish energy group Zorlu Energy will invest in, construct, operate and maintain the plant which is expected to generate 50MW electricity and cost between $80 and 90 million US dollars.

Briefing the minister, the officials said that the plant, likely to start production during the current year, would open employment opportunities for local people and boost local commercial activities in the area.

Talking to journalists, Mr Jatoi said that the government had executed schemes in the areas of water and power in defunct Hyderabad division at a cost of Rs1 billion. He said that the laying down 132kv power line from Nooriabad to Thatta was in progress.

DEAL: Later, speaking at a press conference in Makli, he said that any deal with the People’s Party Parliamentarians would not be in the benefit of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League which had made roots among the masses by serving them indiscriminately.

He said that as the PML was ready to enter power corridors by getting the vote of people therefore there was no need of any deal with the PPP.

He claimed that the country had about ‘one million acre feet excess water’ this year and there was no water shortage.