Govt started work on 5th phase of solar energy conversion project by QESCO

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2026) Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) has started work on the fifth phase (Phase Five) of the solar energy conversion project of agricultural tube-well connections.

According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, the government has also paid about Rs2.486 billion (2.486 billion) to 1243 agricultural consumers included in Phase Five.

After which, the QESCO teams are disconnecting the agricultural connections included in the fifth phase (i.e. Phase Five) and removing the agricultural transformers, electricity poles and other equipment connected to them so that these agricultural connections could not be connected to the QESCO network again.

It further said that the government had launched a solarization project for all agricultural tubewell connections in the province, under which all landowners in the province have been paid money for switching to solar energy in phases under Phase One, Phase Two, Phase Three, Phase Four and Phase Five.

After the government paid Rs. 5.398 billion to the agricultural consumers included in the first phase (i.e. Phase One), 2699 agricultural connections were disconnected.

After the government released Rs. 7.458 billion to 3729 agricultural consumers under the second phase (i.e. Phase Two) of the project, the said agricultural connections were disconnected from the QESCO network.

Similarly, under the third phase of this project (i.e. Phase Three), after the payment of Rs. 14 billion, QESCO teams disconnected 7000 agricultural connections.

After the government released Rs 24.5 billion for Phase Four of the solarization project, QESCO disconnected 12,250 agricultural connections including phase fours and now after the government paid about Rs 2,486 million (2.486 billion) for Phase Five, QESCO has started the process of disconnecting 1,243 agricultural connections and thus, a total of Rs 53.

842 billion has been paid to 26,921 agricultural consumers of Balochistan province in connection with the solar energy transition project by the government.

After switching to solar energy and paying the amount, some agricultural consumers in some areas of the province returned agricultural transformers,

HT poles and their associated electrical equipment to the QESCO, while other agricultural consumers have not yet cooperated and have not handed over the said agricultural transformers, HT poles and their associated electrical equipment to the QESCO teams.

According to the solarization plan, after the government pays Rs. 2 million to each landowner, agricultural consumers are obliged to return their transformers, poles and other electrical equipment to the QESCO.

For this reason, the draft Balochistan Agricultural Solarization and Prevention of Electricity Theft Act, 2025, has also been approved by the provincial government and under this law, legal action will be taken against the landowners who have received the money and have not yet returned the transformers, poles and electrical equipment.

So far, 14,447 agricultural transformers and other electrical equipment connected to them have been returned to QESCO by the landowners who have converted to solar energy, while agricultural consumers in various operation circles have not yet returned 12,474 transformers and other electrical equipment connected to them to QESCO despite receiving funds.

The QESCO has appealed to all agricultural consumers who have converted to solar energy to cooperate with QESCO in the process of returning transformers and other electrical equipment connected to their agricultural connections so that this project can be completed at the earliest.