Daily Times

Balochistan’s Chief Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, has urged the federal government to quicken the process of solarizing the province’s agri-tube wells.

He made this request during a video link meeting with the Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif held here on Tuesday.

During the Prime Minister’s briefing, the Chief Minister of Balochistan informed him that the province government has set aside Rs 10 billion in its PSDP for the fiscal year 2024–2025 for the conversion of almost 3,000 agro tube wells to solar electricity.

Besides, the provincial government has also extended financial support to the agriculture sector by providing subsidy worth billions of rupees during the last couple of years.

“Conversion of legal power Agra-connections to the solar power would save billions of rupees to national exchequer annually,” he hoped.

Regarding the problems landlords and those reliant on the province’s agricultural sector are facing, the CM stated that a delay in the solarization process will result in significant losses for the industry.

“The urgent problem that the vast majority of the province’s population is facing requires a quick fix.” CM Bugti urged the federal government to expedite and complete the process of converting agri-tube wells to solar power as soon as possible.

The Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, on the occasion, directed the Federal Secretary Power Division to complete the procedure as soon as possible.

Team of Power division visit the Balochistan and present him compliance report, he further added.

It may be recalled that following the protest lodged by the landlords of Balochistan over power outages and subsequently successful meeting of CM Sarfaraz Bugti with Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, the federal government agreed to contribute Rs40 billion. Besides, the provincial government had been directed to provide an additional Rs10 billion to convert the agri-tube wells on solar power.