Malakand-III power project to start functioning soon

Peshawar: NWFP Minister for Irrigation and Power Mohammad Hamayun Khan has said that Malakand-III hydropower generation will start functioning soon. He said the project would prove a milestone in the development of Malakand.

Addressing various delegations from Sakhakot, Dargai, Piran, Batkhela, Thana, Palai and other areas of Malakand, which called on him at his Jolagram residence in Malakand. The minister disclosed those small hydel development projects had also been under study in Malakand Agency, and added work on these projects would be was to be initiated very soon.

He said after completion of the feasibility studies on the small power projects, the area would be given bulk of power share and there would no load shedding. He said that the new government had announced its priorities in which the most important was the restoration of peace and ensuring social development.

The Irrigation Minister said the people had seen a democratic era after decade-long dictatorship and the PPP-ANP joint coalition had established a solid mechanism for ensuring durable peace in the province, particularly in Malakand division.

Hamayun Khan regretted that due to wrong policies, the NWFP in general and Malakand division in particular was converted into a war zone. He said the region would once turn into Switzerland of Pakistan and a global tourists resort.

He said the military operations there turned the region economically more backward. The Irrigation Minister said he would fully honour the mandate of the people and had devised a well-conceived strategy with the officers of the irrigation and power departments to provide basic facilities like roads, drinking water, power, health and sanitation etc.

He said he had directed the authorities concerned and they were preparing feasibility reports regarding dozens of developmental projects in the irrigation and power sector. Meanwhile, a big delegation of Piran, consisting of Pir Azeem Shah, Pir Suleman Shah, Pir Sher Ali Khan, Pir Haimen Shah, Pir Daud Shah, Pir Sultan Room and Khurshed, also called on the minister, and felicitated him on his becoming the minister. The assured of their full support to Hamayun Khan.