Sindh govt to provide solar powered systems to 2000,000 households

KARACHI: In a bid to ease the burden of rising electricity costs, the Sindh government has announced plans to provide solar-powered systems to 200,000 households.

At an event in the chief minister’s residence in Karachi, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah stated that the installation of solar panels will help households manage the ongoing electricity and billing crisis.

This initiative comes amid widespread protests against high electricity bills, including a sit-in by Jamaat-e-Islami in Rawalpindi. The federal government had previously approved a 26% increase in electricity costs for the last fiscal year, with an additional 20% hike imposed on July 13 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration.

In response to the soaring prices, a Senate panel has called for a forensic audit of independent power producers (IPPs) due to public outcry over inflated bills.

Who will be eligible for solar panel scheme:

The Sindh government plans to offer solar panels to low-income families with an 80% subsidy, including those registered with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Each solar panel setup will be sufficient to power one fan and three bulbs.

Chief Minister Murad also announced plans to expand the program to two million households and convert all government buildings to solar power. Currently, 34 government buildings have been converted, and the first phase will generate 400 megawatts of electricity.

The Sindh Solar Energy Project is supported by a $100 million World Bank grant.

Additionally, last month, the Punjab government launched the “Roshan Gharana” program, which will provide solar panels to 4.5 million residents consuming between 50 to 500 units of electricity. Punjab will cover 90% of the solar panel costs, with the remaining 10% payable by consumers in easy installments over five years.