ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved in principle the Prime Minister’s Solar Scheme for Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with an estimated cost of Rs13.323 billion.
The scheme is intended to provide off-grid solar electricity systems to households in the merged districts, extending access to power through renewable energy.
The project was considered at a CDWP meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on October 26.
According to the federal government’s announcement, the solar scheme has been referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration.
Off-grid solar systems can generate electricity independently of the conventional distribution network. They offer an alternative source of household power in locations where grid connections are limited or unavailable.
The solar scheme was among 13 development projects reviewed by the CDWP during the meeting. The committee approved 10 projects worth Rs40.915 billion and recommended three major initiatives worth Rs172.25 billion to ECNEC.
In the power sector, the meeting also approved in principle a separate Rs4.395 billion pilot battery energy storage project at the 220-kilovolt Jhimpir-I grid station. That project is intended to support grid stability and renewable energy integration.
The KP solar scheme forms part of the government’s wider development agenda for the merged districts.
The project’s next stage is consideration by ECNEC. The official announcement does not specify the number of households to be covered, eligibility requirements, installation dates or the timetable for distributing solar equipment.