The Punjab government has chalked out a mid-term policy for generating 900 megawatts energy from various alternate sources during the next two and a half years. Punjab Energy Secretary Rab Nawaz told a meeting held here on Saturday to review various projects for generating energy from alternate sources, disclosed an official.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif chaired the meeting while Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development, energy expert Nadeem Babar, Chairman for Special Initiatives and other concerned officers also attended the meeting. The secretary said the policy include five projects of 50 megawatt each of hydel power and 300 megawatt coal-based project. "Similarly, talks are underway with sugar mill owners for generating energy from trash of sugarcane and this policy would also be given a final shape during next week," he added.
On the occasion, Shahbaz Sharif said the Punjab government had evolved a comprehensive programme for generating energy from alternate sources and formulated short and midterm policy in this regard. He said that the energy crises was leaving a negative impact on the economy of the country, saying that to put the country on the road to progress, promote industrial and economic activities, encourage investment the energy crisis had to be overcome.
He issued directives to give final shape to the policy for promoting public-private partnership in the energy sector and added that monthly targets should be fixed for reviewing the progress of energy projects in the province and ensured achieving of these targets. "Planning has been made for getting energy through hydel power and coal whereas negotiations are also going on for getting energy from trash of sugarcane and soon the project of getting energy would be given a final shape in the light of these dialogues.