PM chairs CCI meeting in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI) is underway with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in chair here on Thursday, Geo News reported.

According to sources, the participants are mulling over coming up a strategy to find a once-for-all solution to ongoing energy crisis, which the country has been badly battered.

An amendment bill allowing transfer of more than 230 projects on energy generation from federation to provinces is also being prepared in the meeting.

The chief ministers of all four provinces, federal ministers and secretaries are present on the occasion.

In the beginning, the meeting was briefed over the energy crisis, economic impasse and the resources needed to overcome these crises by the Minister for Water and Electricity, Naveed Qamar, and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.

Sources told Geo News that an annual report on performance of NEPRA for the year 2009-10 will be presented in the meeting.

An amendment bill of Transfer and Distribution of Electric and Power Project will also be tabled for approval, sources told Geo News.

According to sources, a plan of transfer of NEHD and National Educational Foundation to the provinces will be brought before meeting.

The federation would offer a plan of cooperation to provinces in connection with alternative energy generation, sources added.