QUETTA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initiated a groundbreaking project to solarize 28,000 agricultural tube wells in Balochistan in partnership with the provincial government.
An agreement was signed between the Federal and Balochistan governments to convert electricity-run tube wells to solar power in Quetta.
The Prime Minister, along with federal ministers, the Governor of Balochistan, the Chief Minister, and members of the provincial cabinet, witnessed the signing of the agreement.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister stated that under the agreement, a total of 28,000 agricultural tube wells in the province would be converted to solar power within three months.
PM Shehbaz stated that the federal government would provide 70 percent of the funds, while 30 percent would be contributed by the provincial government for the Rs55 billion solarisation project. He tasked the Chief Minister with completing the project within three months.
The PM opined that completing the project would ensure the prosperity of farmers and bring a large area of cultivable land under farming. He added that with the functioning of the solar-powered tube wells, farmers would receive uninterrupted power supply throughout the day.
During his address to the provincial cabinet, he termed the agreement as ‘a deep structured change’ firmly rooted in the government’s reform agenda, stating that a significant sum of Rs500 billion would be saved from going down the drain.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said that the federal government would be relieved of the Rs80-90 billion burden provided as a subsidy to the province due to non-payment of bills, while farmers were still only receiving 2 to 6 hours of power supply.
He expressed hope that the solarisation process would permanently resolve the issue.
The prime mister said that throughout the world, the utilisation of solar capacity was tapped for generation of environment friendly power which was considered as the inexpensive source of power.
He said that the government was taking steps on priority basis for the provision of solar power and assured that the federal government would work closely with the provincial government for the uplift of the province.
PM Shehbaz said that they had reserved 10 percent of additional quota for the students of province in a batch of 1,000 graduate students being sent to China on government scholarships to seek the latest training in the agriculture sector.
While 10 percent additional quota for the students of Balochistan was also allocated in the training programme to be imparted by Huawei to 3,00,000 students in IT sector, he added.
He further informed that the federal government had already set aside funds in the fiscal budget for Danish schools in the province, adding that they were keen to broaden Danish schools to the divisional level so that students in the entire province could be benefitted from the education facility.
The prime minister said that when the young people of Balochistan were equipped with the latest education, the country and province would move on path of progress.
The premier also appreciated ideas and efforts of the chief minister and said the today’s signing of agreement was part of the reforms agenda and collective efforts made by the federal and provincial governments for the progress and prosperity of the country.
The Prime Minister also informed that a total of 1 million agricultural tube wells across the country would be converted to solar power, saving $3.5 billion on fuel import bills and conserving the country’s precious and limited resources.
