When Punjab’s Rs?9?billion solarisation scheme for agricultural tube wells was launched, it promised not just relief from rising diesel and electricity costs. It promised dignity, self-reliance, and economic breathing room for over 450,000 farmers. Today, those promises lie in limbo. The delay, even if the administration may be working in overdrive, understandably feels like a betrayal to the farmers. Over half a million, many of whom staked their entire seasonal strategy on this subsidy, now face silence and stagnation. After months of enthusiasm, only 121 installations have been completed, while thousands of approved applications gather dust in government offices. The root of the problem appears to be the abrupt handover of the project from the Agriculture Department’s Water Management Wing to the Energy Department. This change–poorly planned and poorly executed–has introduced layers of bureaucratic confusion. The Energy Department, lacking procurement experience, now finds itself fumbling a project that was meant to be fast-tracked. The government’s inability to coordinate its machinery has cost farmers precious time, and with it, their trust. For small and mid-sized farmers, the stakes could not be higher. Each solarised tube well could have saved them Rs?10,000 per day–money they continue to lose to high diesel prices and erratic electricity supplies. The damage doesn’t end with the farmers. Pre-qualified vendors, many of whom made significant capital investments to meet the government’s centralised bidding requirements, are now preparing legal action. With whispers of a complete model overhaul, from vendor-led installation to direct subsidy disbursement, private sector confidence can easily collapse. If the government shifts policy mid-stream, who will ever trust or invest in public tenders again? What was intended as a flagship initiative of agricultural reform now risks becoming a case study in mismanagement. Punjab’s administration needs to realise that the success of its all-embracing broader development hinges upon the progress of each and every key programme. Our farmers have been patient. But patience should never be mistaken for passivity. The government should act immediately: expedite processing, resolve departmental confusion, and communicate transparently. Empty statements and shifting responsibility will not power Pakistan’s fields. The farmers of Punjab have upheld this nation’s food security. The least the government can do is uphold its own word. *