November 15, 2006	Wednesday	Shawwal 22, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: Lack of funds and other factors like political manoeuvrings over the government's ambitious programme to electrify all the villages in the country by the end of 2,007 has pushed the vision of "Roshan Pakistan" into a dark alley.

Official sources told Dawn that political influence, internal situation like political and policy changes, non-availability of funds and unforeseen circumstances were becoming potential threat to the government's high profile rural electrification initiative in the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas.

Strikes, agitation, court orders and loss to public property could also jeopardise timely completion of hundreds of schemes aimed at providing electricity to all the citizens by the end of next year as was often claimed by the president and the prime minister, they apprehended.

They said the government had still to arrange finances from foreign donors for the over Rs20 billion rural electrification programme supposed to be executed during 2006-07.

“Non-availability of material during execution of a project is another problem the government normally faces at different stages.

Some times it is because of slackness of an electricity company and at others it is due to the suppliers' failure. In both cases the government has to ensure and manage the availability of material,” they said.

Most of the rural population is deprived of basic facilities of life because of lack of electricity. To provide this facility to maximum people, priority is being given to electrification of those villages which are nearest to the high transmission line.