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EU envoyes to review rural electrification programme progress

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: European Union ambassadors are on a two-day visit to Multan from Tuesday to see the progress of work on the EU-financed rural electrification programme Phase-II to electrify 800 villages in Punjab.

Under Phase-I, 300 villages were electrified in Faisalabad and Gujranwala districts, benefiting a population of 250,000.

During their visit the ambassadors will attend the inauguration of the electrification of village in Khanewal district.

The 25 million euro (Rs 1.25 billion) Rural Electrification Project Phase-II will imporve the livelihood of a further 500,000 villagers living in Multan, Vehari, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan districts of southern Punjab.

The EU financial assistance to Pakistan under its Development Cooperation Programme is all in grants and as such EU is the largest donor to Pakistan. Currently, the development cooperation portfolio is worth in excess of 200 million euro (Rs 10 billion).

During their stay in Multan, the EU ambassadors will visit St Mary's Convent - a beneficiary of the EC-financed Food Security Programme since 1996. The delegation will also be given an overview of the Central Cotton Research Institute's operations on March 29.