Cash-strapped Pakistan announces early closure of markets, wedding halls to save energy
Islamabad, Jan 3: Cash-strapped Pakistan on Tuesday announced early closure of markets and wedding halls as part of a raft of measures under the energy conservation plan as the government struggled to revive the economy.
Briefing the media after a meeting of the cabinet which approved the National Energy Conservation Plan to save energy and decrease dependence on imported oil, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said markets would close at 8.30pm while wedding halls would shut doors by 10.00pm respectively, which will "save us Rs 60 billion".
Announcing more measures, he said that manufacturing of incandescent bulbs would be stopped from February 1 while production of inefficient fans would be stopped from July. He said these measures would help to save another Rs22 billion.
The government would also make the use of conical geysers mandatory within a year, which by using less gas would save Rs 92 billion, and alternative use of street lights would save another Rs 4 billion.
Asif said that all government buildings and offices would also reduce use of energy under the plan and a policy to work from home would also be completed in up to 10 days.
"No lights were on in the cabinet meeting today. The meeting was held in full sunlight," he said, providing an example for the country to follow.
Asif also said that the cabinet planned to conserve 30 per cent of the electricity used by government departments, which would save Rs 62 billion.
In another step, Asif said that electric motorcycles would be introduced by the end of this year to help cut the import of fuel.
"The plan to save energy is being enforced immediately and the cabinet will monitor it," he said.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman who accompanied the defence minister at the press conference said the plan would also help to tackle the climate change issue.
"The world has been following this plan for a while and it is imperative for us to change our habits," she said and asked businesses to cooperate.
The measures to save energy come a day after the National Security Committee agreed that the revival of the economy is essential for national security.
Pakistan's economic situation is facing "severe headwinds" with inflation being forecast to stay high between 21-23 per cent and the country's fiscal deficit widening by more than 115 per cent in the first four months (July-October) of the current fiscal year.
Pakistan's Ministry of Finance in its Monthly Economic Update and Outlook last week said that the economic growth is likely to remain below the budgeted target in FY23 due to devastation caused by floods.
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Bihar has 'failed' on all parameters during 21 years of NDA rule: Tejashwi
Patna (PTI): Launching a frontal attack on the Bihar government, RJD's national working president, Tejashwi Yadav, on Thursday, alleged that the state has "failed" on all parameters during the 21 years of NDA rule.
His remarks came four days ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in Bihar on March 16. Six candidates—five from the ruling NDA and one from the RJD are in the fray for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar.
In a post on X on Thursday, Yadav wrote, "The NDA government failed on all parameters despite years of a double-engine government. Bihar continues to rank at the bottom of most development indicators even after 21 years of NDA rule."
"Bihar is a unique state where the NDA's double-engine government has been in power for decades, yet the state still performs poorly across several socio-economic indicators. Bihar is the poorest state in the country, has the highest migration, the highest levels of crime and corruption, the highest unemployment, the highest level of multidimensional poverty and highest school dropout rate in the country, lowest literacy rate in the country, and the state has the lowest per capita income in the country," he wrote.
He further claimed that Bihar is the state where farmers' income is lowest in the country, lowest per capita consumption in the country, lowest computer literacy in the country, lowest electricity consumption in the country, lowest basic infrastructure in the country, lowest quality education in the country and the lowest industrial units in the country.
Yadav, who is also Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, said the state is lagging in almost every development indicator. He accused the government of avoiding accountability while running the administration through bureaucratic control, state resources and caste politics.
Ironically, despite being lowest on all development parameters, Bihar is leading in buying expensive gas, leading in buying expensive electricity, leading in buying expensive petrol-diesel, and here buying property is more expensive than in Delhi and Mumbai, he alleged.
State BJP spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, refuted the charges levelled by Yadav and told PTI, "RJD leader should have compared the current situation in Bihar with the period between 1990 and 2005 when the state was governed by Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. The condition improved only after the NDA government led by Nitish Kumar came to power in 2005."
