PML-N's claim of resolving energy crisis false: Aleem Khan

LAHORE: Senior Minister Punjab Abdul Aleem Khan on Tuesday said that due to wrong planning many power projects in Punjab are not generating required electricity, ARY News reported.

Presiding over a high level meeting of energy department, Aleem Khan said that there is a lot of work to be done in the right direction and energy department should come forward with short and long term planning to resolve all issues.

The senior minister said that circular debt, over payments and incomplete projects are the core problems which are badly affecting the production side and such costly projects are not as useful as they were being expected.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that he is amazed as to how the former CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif claimed to have resolved the energy crisis as the situation indicates that after spending huge sums of money, the required amount of electricity is not being produced which is affecting our industry and hurting the overall economic situation.

Abdul Aleem Khan said that thermal, coal and solar projects have a bigger cost and they have outdated machinery and bank issues as well even payment to Sui Gas Department is in pending.

The minister maintained that the past government did not spend upon sectors where they couldn’t mint money so the PTI government is trying to balance the expenditure.

Minister Energy Dr. Akhter Malik, Secretary Energy Aamir Jaan gave a detailed briefing regarding existing projects in power sector in Punjab and also suggested solutions to overcome the crisis.