Punjab to work on solar enegry

Lahore:Shahbaz Sharif has said that people are distressed due to loadshedding of gas and electricity which has caused serious loss to agriculture and industrial sectors besides making the life of the common man agonizing. He said that in order to cope with this problem, provincial government has decided to evolve a comprehensive energy roadmap for meeting domestic and agricultural requirements through solar energy and biomass in cities and villages of the province.
He said that projects of solar energy and biomass through private sector will be encouraged in the next budget so that domestic requirements of the people could be fulfilled. He directed Energy and Planning & Development departments to present him a comprehensive energy roadmap within ten days so that work on power generations projects could be accelerated.

He was presiding over a meeting regarding energy resources in the province in his tent office at Minar-e-Pakistan. Provincial Ministers Ahmad Ali Aulakh, Ch. Abdul Ghafoor, Assembly Members, Chairman Planning & Development, Provincial Secretaries, Vice Chairman Punjab Investment Board and energy experts were present. Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture departments gave a briefing regarding solar energy projects for domestic and agri purposes. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister the energy experts should pay special attention to the development of the technology and equipment of solar energy in accordance with the local requirements so that the common man could meet his energy needs at an affordable cost. He said that research and development should be promoted in energy sector for this purpose.
He said that solar energy techniques should also be included in the World Bank’s drip and sprinkle irrigation project of five years costing Rs.32 billion for the benefit of small farmers. He said that biomass project is closer to the traditional rural culture and is also simple in its nature which will specially facilitate the farmers. He directed that a comprehensive plan be evolved for the promotion of biomass and attractive subsidy should also be offered to the farmers so that the rural population could meet its energy requirements through biomass.
He expressed the hope that the setting up of biomass plants will promote organic farming. He further directed that agriculture universities should also be included in these projects aimed at dealing with energy problem so that farming community could benefit from the research of agri experts.