Home »Budgets » Etc » Energy sector allocations for electrification of 570 villages, 248 health facilities
Sindh government has increased allocation for energy sector in the financial budget 2019-20 by 4.34 percent and also introduced five new schemes. "The allocation for Energy Sector's non-development budget increased to Rs 24.920 billion from Rs 23.883 billion in year 2018-19 in the next financial year 2019-20," said Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah in his budget speech which he made in Provincial Assembly, here on Friday.

He said that an allocation of Rs 590.0 million has been made for electrification. He said some 570 villages are planned to be provided electricity by June 2020 and around 248 primary health facilities to be given electricity through Solar PV technology.

"Sindh Solar Energy project, with World Bank support, is to provide 420MW on-grid and rooftop solar installations," adding that 200,000 households in rural areas would be provided solar home systems.

Murad Shah said that provincial Energy Department has played facilitating role in provision of electricity and gas to numerous villages. He said various projects relating to provision of renewable energy to villages and schools were completed in the year 2018-19. Moreover, reconciliation of electric power connections of Sindh government and its entities with Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) and K-electric brought saving amounting billions of rupees.

The CM noted special contribution of Thar coal-mining and power projects which have added 660 megawatts of electricity to the national grid this year. He recalled that the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari termed it the country's most successful project envisioned by Benazir Bhutto who believed that Thar's coal would provide electricity to whole Pakistan.

"Thar coal initiative will not only begin a new era of social development of Sindh ad well as Pakistan but also alleviate the longstanding current account deficit of the country." Murad Shah further said that conventional energy from Thar coal and renewable energy from Jhimpir wind corridor would improve the energy mix profile and also fulfill growing energy requirement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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