PM Gilani vows to overcome energy crisis

National Energy Conference 2012 is in progress in Lahore to devise a road map for meeting national energy demand.Addressing second national energy conference in Lahore on Monday‚ he said massive load shedding has resulted in heavy losses to the economy and every segment of the society has been disturbed due to it.The Prime Minister said due to the efforts made by the government the situation has been improved‚ however it is essential to chalk out long term strategy to enhance power generation.He said we will have to make collective and individual efforts to give boost to electricity generation through various means to get rid of load shedding.The Prime Minister said the government will give serious consideration to the proposals of the conference to enhance electric generation and reduce load shedding in the minimum time.He said unfortunately the present government inherited a net shortfall of 5000 Megawatt‚ but it made strenuous efforts to increase energy generation through various means. However he said there is need to further concentrate on increasing power generation.Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif welcomed the participants and gave a review of the current situation of energy in the country‚ specially in Punjab.Addressing on the occasion, Shahbaz emphasized the need of utilizing all available resources for producing energy realizing ‘gravity’ of the issue.He urged the federal government to take steps in order to convince wealthy countries of the world, including China and Korea, to invest in Pakistan’s power sector.He said Punjab government was ready to assist federal and Sindh government in Thar coal energy project, suggesting that sugarcane could be utilized to produce 200 megawatts of electricity.Shahbaz was of the view that construction of Bhasha dam would surly help end the energy shortage problem.The conference is being attending by all stakeholders including Chief Ministers of all the four provinces‚ AJK Prime Minister‚ Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and senior Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.At the conference‚ the participants will discuss and finalize the measures to develop energy sector at provincial level in the light of 18th constitutional amendment besides considering proposals about exploring alternative resources for power generation.Chief Ministers of Balochistan‚ Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and Sindh‚ Governor Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa‚ and Prime Minister of AJK also addressed the conference. They suggested various measures to overcome the energy shortage.Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naved Qamar said government is working on priority to overcome energy crisis. He said steps have been taken to ease the crisis.