Punjab CM announces free electricity for households using 100 units

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjab government on Monday announced free electricity for households using 100 units a month for the past six months.

This was said by Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz in a press conference in Lahore on Monday. He also announced to provide free solar panels to the needy.

The chief minister said that the provincial government gave subsidy on floor, adding that, “We re making efforts to control inflation.” He said medicine were being provided to the citizens free of cost.

Taking a dig at the former prime minister, Hamza Shahbaz said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s government has damaged the country’s economy.

The CM announced the largest relief package in the history of Pakistan for providing relief to the impecunious strata and said that free electricity will be provided to all the consumers of the province using 100 units. The Punjab government will pay the bills of more than nine million families using 100 units of electricity, he added. Rs.100 billion has been earmarked for this purpose. About half of the population of the province will be provided free electricity from this month and the Punjab government will pay the bills in August, he explained.

Hamza Shahbaz conveyed that the Punjab government would pay the full bill of consumers using up to 100 units of electricity per month under the "Punjab Chief Minister Roshan Gharana Program." In view of the financial difficulties being faced by the destitute due to inflation, the "Punjab Chief Minister Roshan Gharana Program" is being launched; he described and declared that around 5.5 crore people of 44 lakh to 90 lakh families will be provided free electricity from July 1st.

Under the “Punjab Chief Minister Roshan Gharana Program,” the government will pay the bills and all taxes and duties of the consumers using up to 100 units of electricity, he further said. In this regard, the consumers using 100 units of electricity in the last six months will be able to avail the facility; the CM added and told that the Roshan Gharana Program would benefit almost half of the population of the province. Within a year, the Punjab government would also start solar energy projects, as an alternative source of energy, to produce and provide solar energy to the needy people across the province.

The CM further said that the roshan gharana program is being launched this month and the Punjab government will make full payment of the July bill in August this year. The incumbent government is fully aware of the plight of the people and this program is being launched to provide free electricity to destitute families across the province, he asserted.

In view of the difficult economic situation, the government has to increase the rates of electricity and petrol with a heavy heart. But it is fully aware of the difficulties of the common man and every effort is being made to provide relief to the general public while working hard to improve the economy, he added.

Watch complete press conference