K-P pushes rollout of home solar scheme

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has directed immediate action to launch the distribution of solar systems under the province's ambitious household solarization project, emphasizing that all procedural requirements must be completed without delay.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Chief Minister's House in Peshawar on Friday, the chief minister described the solarization of deserving homes as a flagship program of the provincial government aimed at providing relief to the public amid rising energy challenges.

He stressed that timely completion of such people-centric initiatives remains a top priority.

"The government is investing substantial resources to deliver essential facilities to the people, and the benefits must reach the deserving beneficiaries promptly," Afridi said. "There should be no unnecessary delays in the documentation or execution of projects serving public interest."

The meeting received a detailed briefing on the project's progress. Officials revealed that the initiative will cover a total of 130,000 deserving households across the province, including the merged districts. Under the first category, 65,000 households will receive 100 per cent free solar units, while another 65,000 in the second category will be provided systems at 50 per cent subsidized cost, payable in easy installments.

The PC-1 document for the scheme has been finalized and is set to be presented for approval at the upcoming meeting of the Provincial Development Working Party.

Additionally, a separate solarization project is advancing under the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) specifically for the merged districts. This component targets 120,000 deserving households in these areas and will be submitted for final cabinet approval in the next session.

Briefings highlighted that allocation across all districts will be proportional to population, ensuring equitable distribution. Priority will be given to vulnerable groups, including widows, persons with disabilities, temporarily displaced persons (TDPs), families affected by natural disasters, other marginalized segments of society, and off-grid communities where conventional electricity access remains limited.