Web Desk (LTN NEWS): Thursday, PM Shehbaz Sharif gave the go-ahead for the public sector to build solar power projects with a total capacity of 2000 megawatts. These projects will generate electricity that is cheap and good for the environment.
PM Shehbaz, who led a meeting to check on the progress of installing 10,000 megawatts worth of solar projects across the country, said that it would also make the country less reliant on power plants that use expensive fuels and put a strain on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
ReadPM immediate decision to generate electricity from solar energy
He said the project would quickly change the agricultural tube wells to use solar power. Solar power projects would also help solve power theft, line losses, and circular debt problems.
After getting a detailed briefing on solar projects, the prime minister told the meeting that the government would back companies that invest in solar projects.
At the meeting on September 14, a conference for investors on solarization was held. Companies from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, and Qatar, among others, were there and showed interest in investing in the sector.
It is said that work has already begun to find good places for solar power projects. A site like this has already been picked out near Muzaffargarh for a 600MW solar power project.
Also, work is being done to plan the installation of an 11KV solar-powered feeder.
At the meeting, Power Division, the Alternate Energy Development Board, the Central Power Purchasing Company, NEPRA, and other departments worked on a solar energy tariff framework and tariff.
At the meeting, it was told that work was also being done on solarizing government buildings.
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For solarizing tube wells, the prime minister put together a committee with National Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Secretary Power Division, and a water resources ministry representative.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khan Abbasi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Commerce Minister Naveed Qamar, National Food Security Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Advisor to PM Ahad Cheema, and Special Assistant to PM Jahanzeb Khan were all at the meeting.
Also, the prime minister told the relevant authorities to devise an action plan right away to ensure that people will have gas all winter long.
The instructions came from the prime minister, who was in charge of an emergency meeting to deal with the problem of getting gas to homes and businesses.
PM Sharif warned that any carelessness or bad management in delivering gas would not be allowed.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that gas was available to people at home, especially when cooking.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf didn’t take advantage of being able to buy gas from the international market at lower prices.
He was sad that the bad decisions made by the previous government were hurting everyone, especially the average person.
PM Shehbaz said that his government would rather take real steps than brag about false statistics and make big promises.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, State Minister for Petroleum Mussadik Malik, Advisor Ahad Cheema, and other high-level officials led the meeting.
