"New and renewable energy is playing an important role in saving the environment. Keeping this in mind, the Punjab Government have been taken many initiatives for promoting investment in the renewable and renewable energy sector as the state is facing major problem of agricultural-waste especially paddy straw." It was expressed by Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Minister for Power and Energy and New and Renewable Energy Department during a Conference on 'waste to energy', which was organized by Punjab Energy Development Agency here today.Addressing the conference, he said that this conference will definitely contribute a lot to solve this major problem. He informed that the union and state governments are providing financial and other incentives to set up 'Agro Waste to Energy' based projects. He said that the Punjab Government, under its own NRSE policy, providing logistic and other facilities, under which 100 per cent exemption on stamp duty on purchase/lease of land to investors investing in this sector, exemption on CLU and EDC expenditure, 100 percent electricity duty exemption and 100 percent exemption on expenditure incurred on pollution and environmental clearances on Solar projects.The minister said that the Punjab Government's agency PEDA has signed many MoUs with several reputable companies for setting up of 'waste to energy project' and many projects are under construction. He reiterated that this conference would prove to be very beneficial in the state government's environment-friendly efforts.Prominent present on this occasion included Chairperson PSERC Ms. Kusumjit Sidhu, Ms. Alexandra Fifer Germany, Mr. Johnbargen Sweden, Director Dr. Kristoph Kasller, Member PSERC Er. S.S. Sarna, Member PSERC Madam Anjuli Chandra, Director MNRE, Union Government Mr. A.K. Doosa, Director Technical EREDA Mr. Chintan Shah and others.