PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will complete two major solar energy projects this year to convert 7,000 mosques (Masajids) across the province, including the merged tribal districts, to solar energy, which will save the poor people of the province more than Rs. 700 million annually and with 15 MW electricity generation to benefit 840,000 prayers (Namazi) from the government’s public welfare initiative.
Moreover, the timely completion of energy projects is among the top priorities of the current provincial government, from which the people can benefit soon. These views were expressed by Secretary Energy and Power Nisar Ahmed while chairing a review meeting on the progress of two major ongoing solar energy projects, including converting 5,000 mosques in the settled districts of the province to solar energy and solarizing 2,000 mosques in the merged tribal districts, in connection with the annual development program.
The meeting was attended by Special Secretary Energy and Power Habib Arif, Senior Chief Planning Officer Zahir Shah, Project Director Solar Projects Engineer Asfand yar Khan, representatives of the government company National Radio Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) working on the projects, Alam Khan, Haider Khan, Aamir Afridi and other senior officials.
Meanwhile, it was briefed that the project to convert 5,000 mosques to solar energy in settled districts of the province, which costs Rs 5.86 billion, is in full swing, in which 2,400 mosques have been converted to solar energy so far, while the remaining 2,600 mosques will be converted to solar energy this year.
Similarly, out of 2,000 mosques in the merged districts, 600 have been converted to solar energy, while the remaining 1,400 mosques of the project will be successfully converted to solar energy this year.
On this occasion, Secretary Energy and Power Nisar Ahmed stressed on timely provision of funds for both important solar energy projects as well as the completion of the remaining work within the stipulated timeline and issued instructions that a complaint cell should be established regarding the continuous supply of solar energy to mosques during Ramadan.
In the meeting, NRTC officials assured to further accelerate the work on both important projects and reiterated their commitment to complete the projects on time. In addition to this, the Project Director, Engineer Asfand yar issued necessary instructions to the contractor firm to enable the timely and standard completion of the project.
