Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has sanctioned the distribution of one-kilowatt solar systems to 50,000 households across Punjab.
CM Maryam emphasized that the program’s objective is to alleviate the burden of costly electricity for the underprivileged. In greenlighting the solar systems’ grant, she instructed the immediate commencement of a pilot project to assess its effectiveness.
In the initial phase, households consuming up to 100 units of electricity, classified as protected consumers, will qualify for the program, she outlined. Each 1 KW system will comprise two solar panels, a battery, an inverter, and necessary wiring, she added. The Punjab government will bear 100 percent of the solar system’s cost and installation, amounting to a project budget of 10 billion rupees.
However, households involved in electricity theft, meter tampering, or any other fraudulent scheme will not be eligible.
Application Procedure:
Eligible customers can register by sending their bill reference number and identity card number to 8800, according to the provided documents.
The National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) will handle the data of customers using less than 100 units of electricity. After verification, NTC will transfer the details of eligible users to the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), which will issue final lists to the district administration for implementation.
Once the validation process concludes, the district administration will receive the final list of eligible households for implementation. Moreover, the Department of Energy has been granted approval to establish a dedicated project management unit to ensure the initiative’s successful execution.
