PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s ambitious Rs13 billion “Solarisation of Homes” initiative—aimed at providing free and subsidised solar systems to 65,000 low-income households—has encountered significant delays due to bureaucratic hurdles, inflated costs, and procedural violations.
The Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (Pedo) prematurely completed the tendering process *without formal approval of the PC-I, violating key procurement regulations. Despite the PC-I being under review by the *Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) for over three months, tenders were issued in December 2024 and bids opened in January 2025.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had officially launched the scheme on *March 6, 2025, even conducting a lottery draw to select beneficiaries before securing the necessary approvals. The project was first announced on *August 12, 2024, with Phase I (Rs7.5 billion) offering free solar systems to 32,500 families and Phase II (Rs5.5 billion) providing subsidised units on installment plans.
The *PDWP raised objections, citing high costs and violation of procedures, and deferred the project at its *April 22 meeting. Although officials claim anticipatory approval was granted under the KP PRA Act, Section 22, critics argue that full procurement—especially financial bid opening—without PC-I approval is a serious breach.
Energy Secretary Zubair Khan, currently on a senior management course, insisted that no contracts have been awarded and that objections raised have been addressed. He indicated that if PC-I is not approved in its current form, it will be revised and re-tendered accordingly.
The fate of the high-profile solar project now hinges on PDWP’s final decision, highlighting governance challenges in the province’s drive toward clean energy.
Story by Arshad Aziz Malik
