Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting at his office here on Thursday in which steps with regard to the off-grid solution were reviewed. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that Cholistan, Thal, Koh-e-Suleman and electricity-less backward areas will be illuminated through solar energy and hundreds of villages will be provided solar energy in phases. Similarly, water supply schemes, agri tube-wells and schools will also be gradually converted to solar energy. He said that solar energy project will be initially started in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Koh-e-Suleman, Fort Munroe and Rajanpur. The off-grid solution is necessary to meet the growing energy needs and far-flung villages will be illuminated through it. It will also benefit the people and the government will save billions of rupees. Similarly, waste-to-electricity projects are also being reviewed, he added. Provincial ministers Dr Akhtar Malik, Hashim Jawan Bakht, ACS (energy), secretaries of energy, finance, P&D departments and others attended the meeting.
