Foundation laid for country's biggest power grid station

Federal Minister for Power Khurram Dastagir Khan on Monday laid the foundation stone for the 765-KV Gridstation, which would be completed in three years.

'This gridstation which is the biggest ever in the history of the country and would supply a 2160 megawatt electricity from the Dasu Hydropower Project to the National Grid in the first stage,' the minister said while speaking at the project launching ceremony held in Sawan Mera area here.

The minister said the World Bank would provide Rs24 billion's financial assistance to the federal government for the completion of that mega energy project, which would meet the country's electricity shortfall. 'This energy project would not only boost the country's economy but would also create employment opportunities for the countrymen,' he added.

He said a piece of 1088 kanals of land was acquired for the Gridstation. 'Two main transmission lines would be installed from the 4320 megawatts Dasu Hydropower Project to this gridstation and then to the national grid with Rs28 billion funds,' he explained.

The minister said: 'We are going to inaugurate the laying of the transmission lines within a couple of months, which might put this country on the way to prosperity.'This is Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz supreme leader Nawaz Sharif who had laid the foundation for the Hazara Motorway, but enemies of the country's prosperity aremisleading the nation. But the people are mature enough and would never pay heed to the propaganda, he added.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was making efforts to overcome the existing economic challenges and put the country on the way to prosperity and development.The minister said the present government had created Hazara Electricity Supply Company to lessen load-shedding in the division and address low-voltage issues.

Federal Minister Javed Murtaza Abbasi, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Member National Assembly Mohammad Sajjad Awan, former federal Minister Sardar Mohammad Yusuf and former MNA Captain (r) Mohammad Safdar addressed the gathering as well.