Practical Steps Underway Shifting Public Facilities To Solar Energy, Says Dr Akhtar Malik

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Jun, 2021 ) :Punjab minister for energy Dr. Akhtar Malik said that government was moving forward with practical steps shifting public facilities to solar energy under its Clean and Green Energy plan to reduce expenses, ensuring judicious and smart use of taxpayers' money.

He expressed these views after laying foundation of Rs 35 million solar energy project at children hospital complex Multan and opening a Rs 46 million Retrofitting Project at Nishtar Hospital along with Foreign Minister Makhdioom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday.

Minister of State Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Punjab parliamentary secretary for information and culture Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi were also present.

Practical steps were under way to shift hospitals and educational institutions to solar energy, the minister said.

Dr. Akhtar Malik held past rulers responsible for high electricity tariff saying they finalized costly agreements for their commissions and kickbacks and left the people alone to bear the brunt. The incumbent government inherited these agreements from the past rulers and cannot cancel these, he said adding that the government, however, opted for smarter planning aimed at bringing down the tariff in future.

He said that harnessing alternate means of energy resources was the only way forward. He said that the 450KW solar project would be completed by July end at children hospital at a cost of Rs 35 million. The hospital would save Rs 17.5 million per annum on account of electricity bills, the minister explained.

Later, foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Punjab energy minister Dr. Akhtar Malik inaugurated Retrofitting project at Nishtar Medical University to reduce electricity consumption at the terciary care health facility. Dr. Akhtar said that the project was completed at a cost of Rs 46 million and would save Rs 35 million per annum on account of electricity billing.

Minister disclosed that a 2 Megawatt solar project would also be installed at Nishtar hospital that would save expenses worth millions on electricity.

He said that work was in progress to shift all basic health units and DHQ hospitals in Punjab to solar energy adding that so far over 11000 schools have been shifted to solar energy benefitting 1.1 million students studying there.

Moreover, 23 universities in Punjab were also undergoing this revolutionary transformation, the minister said adding that next phase would cover all the government offices and over 20 mausoleums of the saints in Punjab and plan has been finalized to make it happen.

Punjab parliamentary secretary for information and culture Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi said on the occasion that Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar was working hard to resolve problems of the people and promoting solar energy as per clean and green energy vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to counter the high-tariff-electricity problem confronting the people.

A PP/ifi1620 hrs