Adiala Jail to get solar panels

Initiative envisions cutting down electricity costs by Rs19 per unit

RAWALPINDI:

In a recent development, the installation of solar panels is scheduled to take place at the Adiala Central Prison Rawalpindi, along with 22 other jails across Punjab. This initiative is aimed at effectively reducing the expenditure on electricity consumption.

According to sources, Punjab Prisons Inspector General Mian Farooq Nazir met the managing director of the Punjab Energy Department, Abdul Rahman, and mutually agreed to install solar panels with the help of the energy department to provide affordable electricity in different jails of Punjab.

Sources revealed that the project is likely to commence in July 2023 in 22 jails of Punjab including the Central Jail Lahore, Central Jail Multan, Central Jail Bahawalpur, and the high-security prison in Sahiwal. The installation is scheduled to be completed within six months.

The project cost will be covered by the annual development programme run of the energy department.

Upon completion of the project, the electricity tariff is expected to decrease significantly from Rs32 per unit to Rs13 per unit, resulting in substantial savings of Rs19 per unit.

This reduction will lead to a notable decrease in the overall electricity expenditure incurred by these jails, which currently stands at approximately Rs2 billion. The initiative is projected to curtail such expenses by around Rs1 billion, consequently enabling the recovery of the project costs within a span of two years.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2023.