SHEIKHUPURA: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday inaugurated Bhikki power plant in Sheikhupura.
According to reports, the power plant would immediately add 717MG in the national grid.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that completion of Bhikki power project in a record period of eighteen months is beginning of new era in national history.
“In just 18-months even a house is not constructed, we ensured competition of a massive power plant. It is not our precedent to spend 10 years on a project which is scheduled to be completed in one year time,†he said.
“Rs 77 billion were spent on this project,†PM Nawaz claimed. “This plant will generate electricity at the rate of seven rupee thirty-seven paise per unit, which is the cheapest project to generate electricity through gas.”
He said Balloki Power Project will be completed at a total cost of eighty-four billion rupees with saving of fifty-two billion rupees, further informing that Haveli Bahadur Shah project will be completed at a cost of ninety billion rupees with a saving of forty-nine billion rupees.
The primer stated that every year the demand for electricity increased by seven percent.
He announced that around 10,000MW would be added in the system.
Taking jibes at his political opponents, he said that those who engage in politics of allegations loose elections.
“If you don’t stop this brand of politics, your politics will soon be over.â€
Speaking on the occasion, CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif said that the inauguration of the power plant is a step towards the economic progress of the country.
He claimed that the load shedding will completely end in the beginning of 2018, further adding that without the power plant, the power crisis would have been severe in the country.
The chief minister said that the cost of Bhikki power plant is the replica of Guddu power plant but it was constructed on half of its cost in record 18 months.
He also said that no one dared to take a single penny of corruption on those power projects and Rs 112 billion of the national exchequer were saved from this project.
He claimed that at least Rs20 billion were wasted by the previous government in the Nandipur power plant. “Those who have looted and wasted national resources are shouting allegations against us,†he said.
On the occasion, the chief minister requested the premier to take strict action against the officials who are responsible for the continuation of load shedding in the country as they have not implemented his vision.
Governor Punjab Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif were present on the occasion.