Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) on the directives of Prime Minister is to electrify 7874 remote villages in Sindh and Balochistan with 6,968 of these villages are located in Balochistan. According to P&D sources, the National Rural electrification programme is the main project being implemented by Wapda to provide electricity to the villages of all the four provinces in the country.
The Solar Energy projects are to supplement the initiatives of the Wapda and is proposed to be implemented in the areas where electricity cannot be supplied through national grid due to technical, financial and economical hindrances, the sources added.
They said that the villages selected for supply of electricity through renewable energy technologies are located beyond 20-km radius of national grid and therefore provision of electricity through renewable energy technologies is the only solution.
A programme for electrification of remote villages of Sindh and Balochistan through solar energy was prepared by Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) on PM's directive, they added. AEDB, they said developed four PC-1s for Rural Electrification through renewable energy in Sindh and Balochistan costing Rs 1167.73 million, which were approved by the CDWP on March 21, 2006.
Three projects envisage 100 villages each to be electrified in the remote areas of Balochistan (total 300 villages) and one in Sindh (100 Villages). The total cost of the projects is Rs 1.168 billion, they remarked. They added that one of these PC-1s was for provision of Solar Energy in 100 remote villages Northern Balochistan along with Afghan Border at an estimated cost of Rs 308.960 million.
They further said that since project of such magnitude has not been carried out in Pakistan in the past, it was decided to implement the programme in a phase wise manner. Hence adopting this strategy, 100 villages out of these 6968 villages in Northern Balochistan and along Afghanistan Border will be electrified as part of this project.
A request was submitted by AEDB to Planning Commission for allocation of funds from PSDP 2007-08 and in response It was intimated that the projects should be funded from Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP-II) now Peoples Works Programme (PWP-II), as these fall under the purview of Village Electrification and was initiated under PM's directive. Annual Plan Co-ordination Committee (APCC) also upheld the decision of the Planning Commission and subsequently endorsed by NEC.
AEDB has informed that only an amount of Rs 100 million were released to them during financial year 2007-08 through KPP-II and subsequently no allocation has been made to them from either PSDP/PWP-II and have requested for an allocation of Rs 450 million for the Financial Year 2009-10.
In view of APCC/NEC decision, no allocation can be made to AEDB through PSDP, they added. However, they said they may pursue their case with Prime Minster's Secretariat/Ministry of Finance for allocation from PWP-II, as funds under PWP-II are managed by PM Secretariat and released by Finance Division, "The PC has no say in it", they added.
They further pointed out that AEDB's projects relating to power generation etc were financed from PSDP during Financial Year 2007-08. An allocation of Rs 29.0 million was made. Similarly another Rs 15.3 million was also earmarked during 2008-2009, during the current Financial Year ie 2009-10, Rs 100.0 million has been allocated to AEDB for their two projects other than village electrification.
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