ISLAMABAD: The ambitious multi-billion-rupee initiative to solarise agricultural tube wells in Balochistan has hit a snag due to delayed fund utilisation and deteriorating security conditions in the province, according to updates presented at a recent Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) meeting.
The ECC was informed that although the project was approved in July 2024, budgetary allocations could not be made in time, necessitating a technical supplementary grant. Additionally, Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) has been facing hurdles in retrieving materials due to security concerns, as clearance from provincial authorities is required before operations can proceed.
Despite these setbacks, the project is progressing slowly. A third-party validation report is expected by the second week of May 2025. The ECC will review the report before moving forward.
The plan, endorsed by the Prime Minister’s Office, envisions off-grid solutions for about 27,000 agricultural tube wells, with compensation of up to Rs2 million per legal connection, contingent on grid disconnection. The federal and Balochistan governments will share the Rs55 billion cost in a 70:30 ratio, respectively.
A formal agreement was signed on July 8, 2024, and Rs14 billion has already been released via a supplementary grant. An additional Rs24.5 billion is proposed to come from power sector subsidies. The ECC was requested to approve Rs34.5 billion in total funding and to reallocate Rs25 billion from the PSDP to meet power sector subsidy requirements, aligning with fiscal targets set for June 2025.
