Islamabad, 2 August 2024 (TDI): The government has allocated Rs 50 billion for electricity subsidy and Rs 55 billion for solarization of Balochistan tubewells. This was stated by Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif.
PM Sharif further stated that the government was fully cognizant of the problems being faced by the people and making sincere efforts to provide relief to them.
The premier made these remarks while addressing the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, where he highlighted several short and medium-term initiatives taken by his government to resolve the issue of energy crisis and hefty electricity bills.
He said the government will not succumb to any political pressure in making its sincere efforts to provide relief to the people.
The prime minister said it is the agenda of the allied parties to give relief to the masses and provide them with inexpensive electricity.
Elaborating relief measures, he said the government provided Rs50 billion as a subsidy for three months of electricity bills to the protected electricity consumers, using up to two hundred units.
PM Shehbaz said the federal government also launched a mega project costing Rs70 billion in Balochistan to convert tube wells to solar energy. He said the contribution of the federal government to this project would be Rs55 billion.
The prime minister said a massive campaign was launched during the caretaker government tenure to prevent electricity theft. He thanked Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir for his overwhelming support in making this campaign successful.
PM Requests to Avoid Politics on Electricity Subsidy
Shehbaz Sharif said the issue of electricity should not be politicized saying using electricity issue for political gains is a disgrace to the masses.
He urged all the political parties to join hands with the government in addressing the issue.
He directed the Ministers and government officials to apprise the public about the steps taken by successive PML-N governments to overcome load-shedding in the country.
The premier said efforts are underway to resolve issues with Independent Power Producers. He said a mechanism is also being evolved to deal with the IPPs which are under the government’s control.
The PM reiterated that the whole of the government approach is need of the hour to bring the country out of prevailing challenges and move forward.
