ISLAMABAD, Aug 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday said the government was working on a strategy to meet the growing energy needs and provide electricity to all by 2007.

Presiding over a meeting held to discuss the country’s future energy needs, the prime minister said the government would enhance power generation and encourage use of alternative energy resources.

He said the strategy aimed at intensive exploration of gas in the country to sustain the momentum of economic growth.

He stressed the need for making ‘a quantum jump’ in the water storage capacity which, he said, was required to meet the growing energy and irrigation demands of the country.

Mr Aziz said the government was looking for alternative energy sources through solar and windmill for the areas where electricity was difficult to provide through Wapda. He said the government was committed to providing electricity to every village by 2007 and added that under the Khushal Pakistan Programme resources would be provided to meet the target.

The meeting was informed that 9,467 villages had already been electrified and the rest would be provided with electricity by 2007.

The prime minister was informed that 12,202 tubewells were installed for farmers and 11,200 more would be installed next year.

Mr Aziz said the allocation policy for provision of gas had been reviewed to ensure uninterrupted supply for industrial and domestic use and added that the new policy would be announced soon.

He said private and public sector investment would be encouraged for setting up new projects both in hydel and thermal electricity generation.—APP