ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal chaired a high-level review meeting to evaluate progress on critical Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects in the Power and Water Resources Divisions. The meeting highlighted a substantial financial throw-forward exceeding Rs1 trillion for ongoing power and hydel initiatives, against a modest PSDP allocation of Rs122 billion for fiscal year 2025-26.
The minister expressed serious concern over extremely low fund utilization rates—only 10% for Power Division projects and 6% for hydel projects under the Water Resources Division. He stressed that these sectors consume a major portion of the development budget and urged immediate acceleration to prevent cost overruns, fiscal strain, and delays in delivering essential energy infrastructure.
Prioritize Advanced Projects, Resolve Funding Bottlenecks
Ahsan Iqbal directed officials to shift focus toward completing ongoing projects in advanced stages rather than starting new ones with zero progress, except in highly essential cases. The Power Division was instructed to identify priority critical projects and submit a detailed three-year funding proposal, including year-wise breakdowns of the minimum required allocation.
Key projects reviewed included the 2x660MW Jamshoro coal-fired plant (Rs177 billion), the 500kV Matiari–Moro–Rahim Yar Khan transmission line (Rs188.5 billion), advanced metering infrastructure, distribution efficiency improvements in MEPCO and HESCO, Dasu transmission lines, Ghazi-Barotha Hydropower Project, NTDC SCADA upgrades, and power evacuation from the 2,160MW Dasu Hydropower Project (Stage-I). The Secretary Power Division was tasked with coordinating closely with Finance and Planning secretaries to address utilization issues. Officials emphasized translating public investments into operational assets for enhanced energy security and sustainable development.