Centre to solarize 28,000 Balochistan tubewells, announces PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced to solarize 28,000 tubewells being run on electricity in Balochistan, bearing most of the cost of the Rs55 billion project, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing the members of Balochistan cabinet in Quetta on Monday along with the governor and the chief minister, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the tubewells will be shifted to solar energy and 70 percent of the cost will be paid by the federal government while the remaining will be provided by the provincial government.

The prime minister directed Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti to complete the tubewells solarization project within three months.

The prime minister also attended the signing of the project agreement between the centre and the Balochistan government.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpGrFqhxDvo

Talking to media after the agreement signing ceremony, the prime minister said the federal government would provide 70 percent funds while 30 percent would be contributed by the provincial government for Rs55 billion solarization project.

The prime minister met the provincial cabinet in which the federal ministers and Governor Balochistan Jafar Khan Mandokhel and Chief Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti were present, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Earlier, the prime minister witnessed an agreement signing ceremony between the federal and the provincial governments for shifting of electricity run tube wells to solar powered mechanism.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif along with Federal Minister, Governor Balochistan, Chief Minister Balochistan and members of the provincial cabinet witnesses the signing of the agreement between federal and provincial governments regarding solarization of tube wells in Quetta.

The prime minister tasked the chief minister to complete the solarization project within in three months.

He opined that the completion of project would ensure prosperity of the farmers and bring a large area of cultivable land under farming, adding that with functioning of the solar powered tube wells, the farmers would get 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 conceived reforms agenda, he said that a huge sum of Rs500 billion would be saved form going down the drain.

The prime minister said that the federal government would be absolve of paying Rs80-90 billion burden which was provided as subsidy to the province due to non-payment of bills and still the farmers community was getting 2 to 6 hours power supply.

With the solarization process, the issue would be resolved forever, he expressed the hope.

The prime mister said that throughout the world, the utilization 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.

The prime minister 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 prime minister 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 apprised that a total of 1 million agricultural tube wells throughout the country would also be converted on solar power and would save a sum of $3.5 billion on import bills of fuel, thus saving precious and limited resources of the country.

The model for the upcoming project would be introduced soon which would be ‘a quantum jump’ , he added.

He regretted that the injustices were done with the debt ridden country in the last many decades and if they had not taken drastic steps for the economic turnaround, the coming generations would not forgive them.

The prime minister said that it was his first visit to the province after the formation of new government.

He said Balochistan was a very important province of the country and if it was lagging behind in terms of development, there were various reasons, adding Pakistan’s progress was linked with the development of province.

The prime minister said that Punjab province had also allocated a part of its NFC share to the development of Balochistan, adding about Rs150-160 billion had been provided to province so far.

The prime minister said that nothing was impossible to achieve in this world though there might be difficulties but the developed nations emerged successful after overcoming different challenges with collective efforts.

He said Gwadar would become the biggest income resource for the province and China was ready to transform it into a global hub of trade.

The prime minister also expressed the resolve to root out the scourge of terrorism from the province.

PM takes up law and order with Balochistan governor, CM

Balochistan Governor Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Quetta on Monday and briefed him on the ongoing development projects and law and order situation in the province.

The chief minister also apprised the prime minister of the administrative matters as well as overall law and order situation of the province.

Governor Jaffar Mandokhail thanked the prime minister for taking special interest in the development of Balochistan.

The governor also briefed the prime minister about the administrative matters and law and order situation in the province.

The governor also discussed the conversion of province’s tubewells to solar power, party matters, and other issues of mutual interest.

The governor expressed his gratitude to the prime minister for his special interest in the development and prosperity of the province.

Both leaders agreed to further strengthen and enhance the relationship between the federal and provincial governments.

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Quetta for a day-long visit. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Tarar, and Federal Minister for Industries and Commerce Jam Kamal Khan were accompanied by the prime minister during the visit.

The prime minister was received by Balochistan chief minister, governor, Provincial Planning Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, Minister for Revenue Muhammad Asim Kurd Gilo, Minister for Agriculture Mir Ali Madad Jatak and Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, IG Police Abdul Khaliq Sheikh at Quetta Airport.

During the visit, the PM will formally inaugurate tubewells transfer to Balochistan’s solarization.

The PM will also meet the MPs from Balochistan.

Reporter Essa Tareen