The Punjab Government has fixed a target to generate 1000 MW through Non Conventional Energy resources. This was decided in a high level meeting presided over by the Renewal Energy and Revenue Minister of Punjab ,Bikram Singh Majithia here today. Reviewing the status of ongoing Non Conventional Energy programs in the state, Majithia said that the Punjab Government has introduced special incentives for such program under NRSC (New and Renewal Source of Energy) scheme 2012 so that the investors could invest in these projects in a big way. He said that the Renewal Energy Department of the state government has invited investors to invest by offering exemption on VAT, Stamp Duty besides abolishing CLU charges and Power tariffs. Majithia said that by March 2017 all Punjab Government buildings would be equipped with Solar Energy Plants including schools, hospitals, district administrative complexes, tehsils, courts etc. Majithia said that the necessary directions in this regard have been issued to the all authorities concerned. He informed that the state would easily achieve this objective and total 1572 government buildings have been identified for this purpose out of which 448 were in border areas. Emphasizing on the need to promote solar energy program in the border belts of Punjab, Majithia said that he along with the officers of renewal energy department would soon meet Union Renewal Energy Minster, Farooq Abdullah for the sanctioning of solar plants in border regions under Border Area Development Program. The Minister also informed that the state government would incur Rs. 9.5 crores to give the state of Solar City to Amritsar on the pattern of Chandigarh. He also informed that more than half of the work of Solar Stream Cooking progam at Golden Temple, Amritsar has been completed with a combine cost of Rs. 1.50 crore while this project would be fully operational by May 2013 and the preparation of langar would be done through the solar energy, he added. Majithia also asked the department to identify the requisite land for construction of a ‘Solar Park’ in the state on the pattern of Gujarat. He directed the officers to come prepared with a plan for Solar Park in next meeting so he could take up the issue with the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. He also informed that the department has identified 56 tehsils to install the Biomass Plants,
which would be proved a boon for the farmers of the state. Prominent amongst those were present in the meeting included Karan A Singh, Principal Secretary, Non Conventional Energy Department, Punjab and Jatinder Singh Lalli Bajwa, Chairman Punjab Gen Co.