ISLAMABAD:
A parliamentary panel used to be knowledgeable on Tuesday concerning the severe danger of cave in of the tunnel of Neelum – Jhelum mission.
Chairman Nationwide Electrical Energy Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Tauseef Farooqi drew the eye of the parliamentary panel against the intense danger touching on the closure of the tunnel of the Neelum-Jhelum mission.
Responding to queries on the Senate Status Committee on Energy, Farooqi mentioned that the best worry pertains to the query: “What is going to occur if the remainder of the tunnel collapses?”
He said that the mission has been closed since July 2022 and that an quantity of Rs10 billion per 30 days used to be being paid via shoppers because of the closure.
The Neelum-Jhelum energy plant suffered a fault following the blockage of water within the tunnel house of three.5 kilometres that resulted in the shutdown of the plant. This additionally took away 950 MW of electrical energy from the nationwide grid amid extended energy outages within the nation.
“If this tunnel stays closed for a yr, shoppers will undergo a lack of Rs1.2 billion,” Farooqi instructed the committee.
Chairman of the Status Committee, Senator Saifullah Abro expressed fear over the scenario on the key hydro-electric mission of the rustic and requested the Nepra chairman for his perspectives in regards to the restore works.
Responding, Farooqui requested, “The mending paintings on the tunnel is in development – however what’s the make sure that it’ll now not cave in at a later degree?”
In the meantime, Neelum Jhelum Hydropower Venture CEO, Muhammad Irfan mentioned that the recovery paintings on the tunnel can be whole via June 2023.
He knowledgeable the committee {that a} crew of world mavens had submitted two initial experiences after analyzing the tunnel and had known 8 reasons of the tunnel’s cave in. Alternatively, the general record has but to be submitted.
The mission CEO additional underlined that the basis explanation for the tunnel cave in used to be the power of the mountain at the underground tunnel.
The committee used to be knowledgeable via officers that the mission were finished with out monetary closure, because the mission used to be in a disputed house and it used to be tricky to get world loans for its crowning glory.
Senator Asad Junejo advised that the committee counsel an intensive inspection of the tunnel.
The committee used to be briefed over the Nandipur energy plant and the chairman of the committee mentioned that the re-tenders and bidding procedure for the mission can have been finished in a month’s time.
Senator Abro expressed considerations that now not handiest the related government on the Nandipur energy plant however even officers of the ability department have failed to offer a enough solution within the committee conferences.
The senior officials of the ability department slammed the officers of the Nandipur Energy plant for now not giving related and up to date solutions to the queries.
The committee participants expressed dismay over the efficiency of Pakistan Electrical Energy Corporate (PEPCO) and a few even advised shutting it down.
Whilst listening to the briefing over Okay-Electrical (KE), Senator Abro emphasized that the committee participants weren’t corrupt and won’t let the electrical corporate break out with its illegalities.
“Why has KE now not deposited Rs58 billion of the revolving mortgage until now?” As well as, he inquired as to why the KE officers failed to offer main points of the federal government’s liabilities within the revolving loans to the committee.
The committee participants requested why the contract with KE that expired in 2015 had now not been renewed till 2022 and wondered the KE CEO’s absencefrom the committee conferences.
The committee determined that if the CEO of KE didn’t display up within the subsequent assembly and if right kind replies weren’t offered to the committee, the subject can be referred to the Federal Investigation Company (FIA) for an inquiry.
Revealed in The Specific Tribune, November 23rd2022.
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