Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi, Saturday, inaugurated the 40.8-megawatt Koto Hydropower Project in Lower Dir, marking a major milestone in the province’s clean energy development, 24NewsHD TV reported.
According to details, the project has formally begun supplying electricity to the national grid on a commercial basis.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister said the project will produce millions of units of clean, environment-friendly electricity annually, enabling thousands of households to access pollution-free energy.
He added that the hydropower initiative will significantly contribute to local employment and support the revival of industries.
"It is expected that the project will add Rs 2.4 billion in annual revenue."
CM Afridi remarked that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has vast potential for producing low-cost electricity and expressed pride in completing the projects initiated by the previous leadership.
“We are committed to taking every initiated project to its logical conclusion,” he said.
However, he also highlighted challenges the province is facing, noting that the non-issuance of NOCs for development schemes has created obstacles. “From May to November, the provincial government did not receive even a single NOC,” he stated.
The Chief Minister further said that terrorism continues to hurt the province’s economy and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is being treated like a testing ground.
He added that the federal government owes the province Rs 3,000 billion, asserting that timely payment would allow KP to progress rapidly. Additionally, he voiced concern over the rising civilian casualties during counter-terrorism operations.