PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has practically launched its flagship project “Solarization of Houses” aimed at providing free and subsidized solar energy solutions to households across the province.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur formally inaugurated the initiative at a special ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar.
The event was attended by provincial cabinet members, members of the provincial assembly, government officials, and media representatives.
Under the first phase of the project, 32,500 households will receive free solar units, including solar panels, batteries, fans, lights, and other necessary equipment. The selection process was conducted through an electronic balloting system, following an overwhelming response of over 2.5 million online applications.
Overall, the project aims to provide solar systems to 130,000 households, including 30,000 homes in the merged districts. Out of these, 65,000 households will receive solar units free of cost, while another 65,000 households will have access to solar systems at half the price, with the option of easy instalment payments.
The total estimated cost of the project is Rs. 20 billion, and it will be implemented in two phases—65,000 households in the first phase and the remaining 65,000 in the second phase.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur emphasized that the initiative was launched to tackle the country’s electricity crisis and prolonged load shedding, providing much-needed relief to underprivileged communities.
“In line with the vision of our founding chairman, we are committed to providing relief and essential services to the people”, he remarked adding that a welfare state must ensure access to basic necessities for its most deserving citizens. He remarked that the provision of solar units is being conducted through a transparent, electronic balloting system, with priority given to widows, transgender individuals, and other vulnerable groups, and added that each district is receiving its share based on population proportion, ensuring fair distribution across the province.
He also stressed that the selection process has been kept free from political or external influence, ensuring transparency and merit-based allocation.“ With over 2.5 million applications, this overwhelming response reflects public trust in our system, and we thank the people for their confidence in us“, Ali Amin Gandapur stated, adding that the KP government is leading in governance and will continue to do so in future as well.
He concluded that the initiative is meant not only to provide uninterrupted electricity to deserving households but also reduce burden on the national power grid.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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