CM Punjab approves Master Plan
Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over the fourth meeting of Punjab Energy Council in which formal approval was given to master plan of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park consisting of ten thousand acresof land.
The Chief Minister said that development work on the project will be started immediately andcompleted on emergent basis.
He said that third party audit system of all development works in solar park has been declared essential. The meeting fixed beginning of next year as the target of starting energy production from solar park. The meeting also gave approval to setting up of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Company.
The Chief Minister will be the chairman of the company while Provincial
Minister for Energy will be its Vice Chairman. Six members each from public and private sector will be included in the company.
Addressing the meeting of Punjab Energy Council, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that overcoming energy crisis is of great importance for the progress and development of the country as well as strong economy and in view of this importance, government has made generation of energy from alternative sources and overcoming energy crisis its top priority.
He said that Punjab government is working on energy generation projects from variousalternative sources and the most important project is setting up of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park on ten thousand acres land in Cholistan (Bahawalpur) for which formal approval has been accorded to the master plan and funds are also being released immediately for starting development works.
The Chief Minister while giving approval to establishment of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Company said that this company will ensure speedy implementation on solar projects whereas Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company will be responsible of infrastructure development which will be completed expeditiously.
He said that all necessary facilities would be provided in solar park including school, playground, community centre, mosque and dispensary so that engineers and other persons could perform their duties devotedly. Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government will set up projects of 700 megawatts in solar park from its own resources and in the first phase, work will be started on eightprojects of 50 megawatts each.
He said that the solar park has been divided into 20 pieces each of 250 acres of land and solar power project of 50 megawatts will be set up on every 250 acre land. He said that there is also room for extension in solar park so that more energy could be generated from this park, if required. The Chief Minister said that Punjab government will complete the work on the projectsset up in solar park on emergent basis from its own resources and the beginning of next year is being fixed as target of generating energy from the project.
He directed that departments should ensure achievement of this target by working round the clock on the project. He said that practical steps should be taken for carrying out work on the project instead of wasting time in the meetings and lip service.
He said that Chief Executive Officer having best abilities should be posted for the project. He directed Irrigation Department to complete the work of laying pipeline and installing tube-wells for the provision of water from canal to solar park within four months and NTDC to complete the laying of transmission line and the evacuation of electricity to be generated from solar park within six months.
Shahbaz Sharif said that besides laying transmission line, up-gradation work of grid should also becompleted and no delay will be tolerated in this regard. He directed that the quality of development works in solar park should be ensured at every cost. He said that the Bank of Punjab in consultation with Finance Committee of Energy Council should submit practicable recommendations with regard to project financing in the next meeting. The Chief Minister said that rapid progress should also be made with regard to setting up Punjab Energy Fund. He made it clear that Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park is the project of national importance and no stone should be left unturned for its early completion. He said that the resources should be utilized properly and no compromise be made on quality.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister was given detailed briefings by various departments with regard to master plan of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, construction of infrastructure, evacuation of electricity, laying transmission line, provision of water and other projects.