ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government and China’s Kohala Hydro electric company on Friday signed an agreement to produce 1,124 megawatt electricity on Jehlum River.
The AJK secretary electricity Zafar Mehmood and chief executive officer of Chinese Three Gorges Company signed agreement worth $ 2.4 billion.
Kohala Hydropower Project, being built on Jhelum River in AJK under CPEC, has been awarded to the Kohala Hydropower Company Ltd (KHCL), which is a subsidiary of China’s Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC). The project will produce 1,124 megawatt electricity costing $2.4 billion.
The Project will create eight thousand jobs for youth in AJK. The state government will receive about 2.5 billion rupees annually in the shape of water use charges and the project will be handed over to it after thirty year.
Speaking on the occasion the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan said that Kashmiri people had always given tremendous sacrifices for the prosperity of people of Pakistan and have played a leading role to overcome energy crisis in the country .
He said Kohala, Neelum Hydro Power and Mangla uprising projects were the glaring examples in this regard. The Prime Minister underlined the need for starting work on Mansehra –Muzaffarabad and Mirpur Mangla project under CEPC which were agreed by the previous government but the present regime has not given priority to it.
He thanked the federal government and Ministry for energy for addressing the reservations of the Azad Kashmir government regarding financial and other issues. He expressed the hope that the work on this project will be started soon and environmental issues will also be addressed by the government of Pakistan.
He assured all out support of the Azad Kashmir government regarding the completion of the project and said that state government will play its leading role regarding the execution of this projects of the national importance.
Speaking on the occasion the Federal Minister Hamad Azhar assured that the agreement reached with the Azad Jammu and Kashmir government would be fully implemented. He said Azad Kashmir government would receive billions of rupees on account of water uses annually as well as tremendous financial support from the federal government.
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