PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has directed the energy and power department to ensure the timely completion of mosque solarisation projects in the province for the uninterrupted electric supply to places of worship.

“The government will provide all required resources for mosque solarisation,” he said during a meeting of the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation here.The meeting was called to review progress on the mosque solarisation projects, said an official statement.

The participants included the energy and power secretary, Pedo CEO, project director and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The chief minister directed the relevant authorities to adopt a ‘realistic’ criteria for the selection of mosques for solarisation to facilitate those facing an acute power shortage. Officials told the meeting that five solarisation projects had so far been completed by the Pedo at a cost of Rs1.054 billion.

They said completed projects would save Rs82 million annually. The officials said over 6,500 houses had been solarised in different areas of the province, while the solarisation of 300 mosques and non-Muslims’ worship places had been completed in merged tribal districts.

They said under three different schemes, over 6,000 mosques were being solarised at the estimated cost of Rs3.734 billion. The officials said the projected annual saving through those schemes was Rs348 million.

They said the solarisation of 850 mosques in merged districts, 1,151 in Swat district, 440 in Peshawar district and 4,000 in other districts were under way.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2020