GUJRANWALA, Dec 3: Federal Water and Power Minister Liaquat Jatoi said on Friday that construction of small and medium hydel power stations was the need of the hour.

Speaking at a meeting held at the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), the minister said steps were being taken to improve the transmission system.

He said the construction of four new grid stations would be completed within the stipulated period. His ministry would hold talks with the Punjab government for acquiring land for the construction of Sheranwala Bagh grid station.

Expressing satisfaction over the performance of Gepco, he said other distribution companies should also follow it to achieve better results. Earlier, Gepco Chief Executive Brig Saifullah said the company had saved a revenue of Rs705 million during the last two years.

He said as many as 315 villages had been electrified during the current fiscal year. The overloaded grid stations were being upgraded besides the construction of four new ones and the installation of new transformers.

Speaking at the local chamber of commerce, the federal minister said Pakistan would purchase 600 megawatt power from China to improve the supply system. He said there was no shortage of power in the country instead the government had 1,500 megawatt in surplus.

He said the government would construct Gomalzem dam and other hydel power stations to meet the requirement of electricity. The Kalabagh dam was necessary for the country, and the government was making efforts for a consensus among all provinces in this regard, he said.

He said a new grid station was being constructed near Wazirabad and the land for the purpose had already been acquired. This grid station would start functioning within eight months, he said.

He assured the industrialists and the business community that the cottage industry would be encouraged by providing them with better facilities. He said he would convene a meeting of all chamber presidents, vice-presidents and other members next month to seek their proposals for the promotion of the industry.

LB SYSTEM: The local bodies system is not being changed but it would be revamped instead to provide quick relief to people. This was stated by NAB consultant Dr Muhammad Anwer Butt while talking to newsmen at the residence of union council Nazim Wahidul Haq Hashmi at Satellite Town here on Friday.

He claimed that the LB system had eliminated the hundred-year rule of the bureaucracy and empowered fully the representatives of the people to resolve their problems. Dr Butt said that the citizen community boards would be retained as these were helpful for the construction of uplift projects in accordance with the wishes of the people.