CM orders conversion of schemes to solar energy

New Annual Development Programme

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Monday directed the concerned authorities to convert maximum number of schemes to solar energy in the new fiscal year.

“This is the only solution to address the issue of electricity loadshedding as it would help manage these schemes locally,” he added.

The chief minister said that promoting solarisation would help address the issue of loadshedding to a greater extent and save money being spent on utility bills. An official handout said that he was chairing a meeting to review preparations for the new Annual Development Programme (ADP) at the Chief Minister’s House.

The meeting discussed new schemes in Public Health Engineering, Local Government and Rural Development and Communication and Works departments. Finance Minister Muzaffar Said, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah, Minister for Revenue Ali Amin Gandapur, Advisor to Chief Minister on C&W Akbar Ayub Khan, Advisor to Chief Minister on Planning and Development Mian Khaleequr Rehman, Focal Person Peshawar Mega Project Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Chief Secretary Abid Saeed, Additional Chief Secretary Muhammad Azam Khan and administrative secretaries attended the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Pervez Khattak asked for making foolproof arrangements and quality control of all schemes in public sectors including food, agriculture, Public Health Engineering, Health, Communication and Works in the new ADP.

He also underlined the need for introducing mobile testing laboratories in all sectors. He ordered the inclusion of schemes in the ADP accordingly so that on-the-spot testing and quality could be ensured and the trend of delayed and self-desired quality results could be discouraged.

He directed for interlinking and streamlining the quality control sections of all government departments with research centres of the concerned universities for improved results. He constituted a high-powered committee to be headed by additional chief secretary with secretary higher education as focal person of the committee.

In regard to delay in completion of Malam Jabba road and lack of funds and some other highways leading to picnic spots, he strictly directed the authorities to strike agreement with BoK for its funding so that its completion could be ensured by next fiscal year.