LARKANA: The 950-million rupees project for installing Solar Energy Street Lights in the entire Larkana district has failed to produce desired results.
Sources informed that the contract was allegedly given to blue eyed boys of the ruling political party of Sindh in 2011, who were inept to handle this project.
In Larkana 317 such lights were installed (144 in Ratodero and 156 in Naundero) and also in other towns of the district in order to maintain peace and curb crime rates by having streets lit after sunset.
But, the sources informed, the contractors used substandard and low quality batteries which failed within the first few months after installation, rendering the entire scheme useless for the residents of these areas on the one hand and wastage of the tax payers’ hard earned money on the other.
The scheme was completed in 2013 by the district buildings department and handed over to Taluka Municipal Administration (TMA) for further maintenance, but they don’t have proper human resources and technical staff besides limited funds.
Sources added that the Sindh government approved another amount of Rs 5 million in 2014 to TMA Larkana for repair and maintenance work of the solar street lights, but nobody knows where the amount had been utilized because the lights are still non-functional.
In many localities, residents also complained that poles for these lights were erected near the residences of few selected people by completely ignoring merit, priority and necessity.
A PPP office bearer of Naundero, requesting anonymity, told this scribe that the work has not yet been completed as out of 250 lights which were to be installed there about 150 have so far been established and material for others is lying unused.
The people of Larkana have demanded a thorough probe to expose those involved in wasting public funds, otherwise misuse of allocated budget will continue unchecked without benefiting the end users.
