Punjab New and Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today welcomed the decision of Center to develop holy city Amritsar, Ludhiana and Chandigarh as Solar City and said this will further give impetus to mission Go Solar Punjab.While distributing grants worth Rs. 45 lakh to Panchayats of villages Kuralia, Kairon Nangal and Sidhwan, Mr. Majithia said that Punjab has set new milestone in the field of Power generation besides surpassing national target. He said that with the initiatives taken by state, it would soon emerge as hub of solar power in the country. He said that after making the nation self-reliant on Food Security front now Punjab has become torchbearer for others in the area of power generation as it is all set to be a favourite destination in solar power after Thermal Plants for national and international investors. He said that Punjab had only 9 MW solar power generation few years back, which has touched 215 MW presently and by the March 2016 this capacity will be increased to 541 MW.
Answering to a media query Mr. Majithia said that the state has got the status of Power surplus and now it is all set to sell power to other states. He said that Punjab has considered best state by Union Power Ministry has adjudged Powercom as best performing utility in power sector and center had also awarded Punjab with best performing state in renewable energy capacity building in the country. He said that states lagging behind on the front of power generation will buy power from Punjab in time to come.Meanwhile Mr. Majithia welcomed around a dozen families having rich Congress past in village Kaironangal. The Minister assured them that they will be given due respect and status in the party fold while on the other hand the families joining Shiromani Akali Dal expressed their satisfaction in the development oriented vision of ruling alliance.
Majithia said that there would be no scarcity of funds for development purposes. He also announced that state has sanctioned Rs. 30 lakh for modern power infrastructure in villages Sidhwan, Tahli Sahib, Rupowali Brahmanan and Bagge while Rs. 40 lakh for new feeders in village Mian Pandher and Dahrke etc. He said that Punjab Government was ensuring 24 hours power supply to villages by building world class infrastructure in the villages at a cost of Rs. 9 crore. He also announced that by the end of this year there will no Dera and Dhani without Pucca paths.Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Major Shiv Charan Singh Shivi, Bhagwant Singh Sialka, Gurvel Singh Alkare, Prof. Sarchand Singh, Media Advisor to Mr. Bikram Majithia etc.