Senate Committee showed serious concerns about the project’s transparency. In Larkana, where 21,000 families were supposed to be registered, only 4,000 were listed.

ISLAMABAD   (   WEB  NEWS   )

Chairman standing committee for economic affairs division Thursday said that Sindh’s solar project’s beneficiaries list found to be inaccurate in a meeting  of the parliament body.

Senator Saifullah Abro said that there should have been up to 21,000 registered families in Larkana but only 4,000 families have been registered. “A family has been given 10 solar sets while the neighboring household failed to get single solar system kit.

“The FBR has said that the solar kits have not been imported from any foreign country,” Senator Abro disclosed in the briefing.

The committee resented over absence of concerned officers in the meeting, “Officials deliberately remain absent in meetings,” chairman said.

The Standing committee directed officials for compulsory attending the next session of the parliamentary body.

Sindh government has announced free solar systems distribution for the families under a scheme, whose monthly electricity consumption is less than 100 units and who have not applied for any other government solar power program.

During the briefing, Senator Abro expressed deep concern over major contradictions in the list of beneficiaries of the project. He said the beneficiary list was proven to be inaccurate. In Larkana, where 21,000 families were supposed to be registered, only 4,000 were listed.

In one irregularity, a single household received 10 solar units, while the neighbouring home received none.

Senator Abro further stated that solar kits costing Rs 18,000 were allegedly procured for Rs 60,000. Citing a report by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), he noted that the solar equipment had not even been imported, raising even more serious concerns about the project’s transparency.

The committee chair also expressed strong displeasure over the absence of key officials from the session, accusing them of deliberately avoiding the proceedings. The committee directed that the relevant officers must attend the next meeting without fail.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah distributed ‘solar home systems’ to people in Karachi in a ceremony.

Sindh’s chief minister called the solar energy plan a key step in collaboration with the World Bank. The CM said that 200,000 low-income households being provided solar home system.

“We have set a target of distributing 400 solar kits weekly in each district,” chief minister said.

“Green energy is the need of the time to tackle adverse impact of the climate change,” CM Shah said. He said solar plants will become helpful in providing 300 free units of solar energy.