Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini has directed officials to connect all tube wells in the agricultural sector in the state to solar energy in a phased manner. The Chief Minister gave these instructions while chairing a review meeting organized under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) in Chandigarh on Friday.
Energy Minister Sh. Anil Vij was also present in the meeting. The Chief Minister said the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) should identify five acre places for solarization of at least two agricultural feeders in every district, where solar panels can be installed and electricity can be supplied to agricultural tube wells from solar power.
The Chief Minister suggested to officials that a solar power plant should be installed on about 300 acres of land of Ganni Kheda Gram Panchayat near the 220 KV substation located in Raiwali village of Panchkula district. This plant will make it possible to supply solar energy to all agricultural tube wells of the district.
Also, solar panels should be installed on vacant land at places like colleges, Deputy Commissioner's office, Pinjore fruit and vegetable market terminus and bus stand in Panchkula district.
Solar panel structures should be made usable for social functions
The Chief Minister said that in panchayats which provide land for solar power plants, the solar panel structures should be designed in a way that they can also function as ‘Kalyanam Mandapams’, enabling the space beneath to be used for social and community functions. It was also decided in the meeting that solar energy panels will be installed on the sheds of mandis of Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board and warehouses of Haryana Warehousing Corporation.
Electricity will be generated from this and supplied for agricultural purposes as per the requirement.
Number of solar pumps crosses 1.58 lakh, target of 70,000 pumps
Additional Chief Secretary of Power Department, Sh. A.K. Singh informed that under the PM-KUSUM scheme implemented from the year 2018-19, more than 1.58 lakh solar pumps have been installed in the state so far. A target has been set to install 70,000 new solar pumps in the state in the financial year 2025-26, for which a budget of Rs 600 crore has been set.
Under the scheme, the cost of solar pumps of 3 to 10 HP comes to Rs 1.41 lakh, in which 25% is borne by the farmer, 30% by the Centre and 45% by the state government.
There will be follow-up on complaints of solar pump breakdown
The Chief Minister directed the officials to take complaints of solar pump breakdown seriously. In the villages from where such complaints are coming, the concerned officers should personally contact the farmers. Also, organize special camps in those villages where a large number of solar pumps are installed.
Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sh. Rajesh Khullar, Commissioner and Secretary of Finance Department Smt. Ashima Brar, Commissioner and Secretary, Finance, Sh. C.G. Rajini Kaanthan, Director of New and Renewable Energy Department, Dr. Priyanka Soni, OSD to the Chief Minister Sh. BB Bharti and other senior officers were present in the meeting.