CM’s Ujala scheme darkens Punjab’s energy production prospects

By
Hussain
-
17
161

The Punjab government’s new plan of attracting voters by distributing solar lamps is a waste of precious funds since the provincial government has not initiated any significant projects for power generation, sources told Pakistan Today on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister’s Ujaala Programme will cost around Rs 3.5 billion and aims at distributing solar lamps to matriculation students who are enrolled in a government school and have secured more than 55 percent marks in grade 9. However, sources on good authority revealed that various proposals such as distributing electric fans and water coolers came up during deliberations, while solar lamps were preferred to enable students to study during severe power outages.
“Basically, the project focuses on low-income households, especially those in the rural Punjab which experiences up to 18 hours of load shedding,” a senior official seeking anonymity told Pakistan Today.
The official further revealed that the government had planned to distribute 200,000 solar-powered lamps, each costing a little less than Rs 12,000.
Critics of the project, however, maintained that the Punjab government was trying to woo the voters through such short term projects that would prove to be very heavy on the national exchequer. “The government has allocated Rs 12 billion for power generation in this budget but no project has been initiated so far, while the government is again spending one-third of that amount on distributing solar lamps which is no solution to load shedding at all,” a senior official said, asking not to be named.
The federal government had transferred the powers to generate electricity to the provinces after the 18th Amendment and the Punjab government had been facing a lot of criticism over its failure to generate electricity and for blaming the federal government.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Energy Department Secretary Jehanzaib Khan said that the project had been initiated for the young students in the government set-up and had nothing to do with elections or voters. Answering a question, he said the government had completed the feasibility study of coal-based power generation projects and it would start off soon, while the chief minister had recently inaugurated a 4MW power generation project.
He said that the provincial government was trying to find a long term solution to the load shedding issue.

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17 COMMENTS

  1. Showbaz has already wasted billion of rupeesin the name of different projects. His not less than PPP govt.

  2. Sharifs are wasting national national money to get votes so they can get federal govt after next elections and do more corruption. They r 10 times more corrupt than PPP

  4. ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhzabar dast

    • zunaira dast ? flagyl lain pls. this ujala scheme should have been launhed by mallla . n has waisted billions on it

  6. The most pathetic thing to be done by a GOVT. They are spending 1/3 of their power production budget on this scheme where they should be focusing on electicity crisis. The problem / flause with this scheme are following (IMO).

    1: What kind of marit is 50%???? Now a days most of the good Colleges and Unis have 60% just as passing marks. In Medical Colleges of Punjab students with 80% are not getting admissions and the merit for Laptop Schemes and Ujjala Schemes is 50%, what kind of Nonsense is that???

    2: Only for a few GOVT school kids ?? Why?? Others dont have the right?? This is everyones money not CM Punjab's money.

    3: How will they make sure that the lap and stuff they are providing will be used by the students for study purpose.

    4: Why they can't save this money for a long term energy plan rather than spending the amount on a nothing project in election year??

    After 18th Amendment, Punjab Govt has alot of budget which they are wasting on these useless schemes. The people are so ignorent that they think that GOVT is spending this money from CM's Pocket… WAKE UP People, THIS IS UR TAX MONEY which is being wasted here….

    • agr koe pakistan k ley kch a6a kr rha he to tmhe kia tkleef he?????????agr koe a6a kam kre to ux pe tnz krna zrori he??????? people like u create only fuss………:-@ :-@ tum jese logon ko izat ras nae ati he…………tm jese logon ki baten sun kr aesa lagta he k hm aj b ZAMANA-E-ZAHELIAT me rehte hn…….:-@

  8. Aam oka nai keera phele lag gya ahan tm log ye chate ho k tmain kch na mille corruption k siva ik bnda acha kr rha ha tw tm baghairton ko kya keera ha dene do ppp ki trhan tw nai ha khai jao khai jao kch lgao e na mulk pe jahil awaam,.. :@

  9. Aam Pka nai keera phele lag gya ahan tm log ye chate ho k tmain kch na mille corruption k siva ik bnda acha kr rha ha tw tm baghairton ko kya keera ha dene do ppp ki trhan tw nai ha khai jao khai jao kch lgao e na mulk pe jahil awaam,.. :@

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