With a view to promote setting up of renewable energy power projects in the state, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today gave a nod to exempt renewable energy power projects from change of land use (CLU) and external development charges (EDC) in accordance with the state NRSE Policy 2012. Besides, solar power projects upto any capacity were also exempted from obtaining any NOC from Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).Deputy Chief Minister while reviewing the ongoing power projects with Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Mr. Sikandar Singh Maluka, Renewable Energy Minister Mr. Bikram Singh Majithia and senior officers, asked the housing and urban development department to immediately issue a notification to exempt solar energy projects being developed by the PEDA under built, operate and own (BOO) basis from CLU and EDC charges.
Badal said that 29 sites have already been identified for this purpose and PEDA has recently handed over approval letters for 250 MW Solar power projects with investment of Rs. 2500-3000 crore. He informed that the various power projects having capacity of 250 MW would be commissioned by 31st January 2015 as implementation agreement and power purchase agreements have already been signed for all the projects.
During the meeting Deputy CM deliberating upon the state gram panchayats land lease policy has directed that rural land price fixation committee headed by concerned Deputy Commissioner would fix the lease rates keeping in view the nature of land and prevailing contract prices of concerned agricultural or barren land. It was also decided in the meeting to levy additional 6% yearly compounding charges from the projects owners to recompense the spiraling prices of land. Mr. Badal asked the rural development department to move a case to the next cabinet meet for levying yearly charges from the entrepreneurs.
To attract the business houses for investment and give impetus for setting up of renewable energy power projects Deputy CM also authorized the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP) to sanction early clearances for such energy power projects in the state. Adding further Deputy CM said there was great scope of investment in the clean energy sectors of solar and biomass power.Prominent among other who were present in the meeting included Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr. Mantar Singh Brar, Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary Rural Development Mr Mandeep Singh Sidhu, Principal Secretary Housing Mr A. Venu Prasad, Secretary Power & CEO PBIP Mr. Anirudh Tiwari, Additional Principal Secretary to CM Mr Gaggandeep Singh Brar, Secretary Science and Technology Mrs Seema Jain, Mr. Rahul Tiwari, Manvesh Singh Sidhu and Ajay Mahajan (all Special Principal Secretaries to Deputy CM).