Alternate energy resources and beyond
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Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area and is the most backward in the race of development. Financial experts say that development of Pakistan is not possible without the development of Balochistan.
The release of a historic package for farmers in the province, the plan to convert 28,000 tubewells to solar systems by the current govenment is a reflection of good vision. During his first visit to Balochistan after being elected as the prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif attended the signing ceremony of the solarization agreement of agricultural tube wells between the federation and the government of Balochistan, addressed the provincial cabinet and met with PML-N members. The prime minister said that 28 thousand of the province The tubewells will be converted to solar power in three months. It will cost 55 billion rupees, in which 70 percent will be paid by the federal government and 30 percent by the provincial government. 1 million tubewells run on oil across the country, whose import bill is three and a half billion dollars. In the next phase, they will be transferred to the solar system. Solarization of tubewells will benefit 80 thousand farmers of Balochistan. The loss of non-payment of electricity bills of Rs 80, 90 billion per year which the federal government used to pay will be saved. For several years, the federation has paid 500 billion rupees for the electricity bills of the tubewells of Balochistan. If these billions of rupees were spent on the development of the province, where would Balochistan have gone? It is gratifying that the federal and provincial governments of Balochistan are using all resources to ensure the completion of development plans.
Farmers will be prosperous with solar tube wells. Billions of rupees will be saved and the province will be on the path of development. The political, social and government circles of the province, including the farmers, have expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking interest in the development and prosperity of Balochistan. The Prime Minister invited the angry Baloch people to sit together and resolve their grievances. He said that he will embrace whoever wishes for the well-being of Pakistan and Balochistan.After the federal budget, the citizens have become helpless due to inflation, increasing electricity, gas rates and taxes. The issue of slab system and over-billing is a separate concern. 3 lakh 26 thousand 350 consumers of ten discos have left the protected category and had to pay double bills. Financial experts say that the Govt vision should be to remove the problems of the common man. The decision to increase the electricity tariff for protected and non-protected domestic consumers is also commendable. Although this relief will be only for three months (July to September), the government will have to give a subsidy of 50 billion rupees. Giving relief in such a situation is a tough test for the government. Pakistan has been suffering from energy crisis for more or less three decades, in which the people are facing severe suffering due to the intensification in recent years. The storm of inflation that has come from obtaining more loans to relieve the burden of foreign debt of rupees and meeting the strict conditions of international financial institutions created in return, the common man of this country with the lowest per capita income is bubbling. The government should work on a solid agenda attract foreign investment and its efforts are proving to be fruitful. In this regard, the meeting held on recently is very important , in which energy-related projects were reviewed for an investment of 5 billion dollars. Short, medium and long-term projects were finalized in three weeks, including getting rid of revolving debts in the gas sector.
Under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. An 18-member committee was formed. The committee has been assigned 12 major goals, which include the implementation of the revised Petroleum Policy 2012 and Gas Policy 2024. It is the most important initiative, for which it has complete infrastructure. Unfortunately, the oil and gas exploration in a country rich in natural resources has lacked success. Efforts should be made to find energy within the country instead of importing it. They should be discovered and made a part of the economic goals. A task force for the implementation of reforms in the electricity sector in order to remedy the increasing prices of electricity in the country, their impact on the prices of daily use goods and the anxiety found among consumers is on the anvil. The Prime Minister, while addressing a function, has mentioned to give relief to the consumers of up to two hundred units of electricity, which is a good thing. But this is not the solution to the problems that people are facing in the form of continuously increasing electricity rates, overbilling and load shedding etc. and as a result of which consumers are forced to sell even their household goods to pay the bills. The salaried class bears this burden. It is more affected because after paying the bills, they have nothing left for household expenses. It has reached such a point that industrial plants and other businesses are also gradually shutting down which keep the wheels of the economy going. This is a serious problem that needs to be controlled. A mere temporary or patchy solution of the task force will not work. The involvement of experts in the task force committee is also necessary and the time period for making recommendations to reduce electricity bills, remove irregularities and identify system flaws is also necessary. It should be kept in mind that there is an agitation like situation in the entire country on this issue. There are ongoing sit-ins in some cities and it is feared that people may not stop paying electricity bills, the negative consequences of which the government and the country's economy cannot afford. Maybe. Some taxes in electricity bills are ridiculous, in areas where electricity is generated only from water, there is no justification for inclusion of duties like income tax etc. apart from adding fuel adjustment money or TV fee in mosque bills. No. The task force will have to take these things into consideration in its recommendations. The issue of IPPs is also very complex which the government will have to solve in any case because the payment of billions of rupees to power companies without producing and supplying electricity is not fair. It does not meet the requirements.
There is no justification for providing free electricity to some government workers and offices. In order to get the country out of the economic vortex as soon as possible, apart from other measures, it is necessary that the domestic and industrial consumers, especially the poor class, should be at least Maximum relief should be given in bills.