By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 2 Oct: Power Secretary Dr R Meenakshi Sundaram today stated that, after the amendment in the guidelines of Mukhyamantri Solar Swarojgar Yojana, people’s interest in this scheme has increased rapidly. He also shared that Uttarakhand ranked first in the disposal rate of applications under Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana.
Sundaram shared that, currently, work is in progress on projects worth 174 MWs under this scheme. He observed that under these two schemes, commendable work is being done in Tehri, Uttarkashi and Champawat districts.
The Energy Secretary shared that, along with the installation of solar energy plants in Kukreda village of Mori Tehsil (District Uttarkashi), ginger cultivation is also being carried out to augment incomes. The same land is being utilised for two diverse purposes simultaneously.
Reiterating that Uttarakhand has ranked first in the country in terms of the disposal rate of applications in the state under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, Sundaram added that the state government is also giving subsidy under this scheme. In the next two-three years, solar roof top plants will be installed atop all the government buildings of the state.
He also disclosed that the Small Hydro Power Policy has also been amended in the state, and now tenders have been issued for six projects under the amended policy. In addition, 19 more projects are also in the pipeline under the scheme. During the Investor Summit held in December, last year, various companies had shown keen interest in the small hydro power projects, he shared.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also commented on the performance of the state with respect to the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana and the CM Solar Self-Employment Scheme. He said that these schemes are important steps towards increasing energy production as well as self-employment opportunities in the state. He added that through solar energy, not only regular power supply is being ensured in the remote areas but also the youth and villagers are getting employment opportunities in their villages itself. This initiative is also important for promoting clean energy, the CM asserted.
Sundaram also shared that a Pumped Storage Plant Policy has also been drafted in the state. In this, JSW Group had shown interest to invest. The company has signed an MoU worth Rs 15,000 crores during the Investors Summit. Under this, the investment proposal worth Rs 8,000 crores has already been approved and allocation orders will also be issued soon, he claimed. This project is proposed to be set up in Almora. In addition, some other companies have also shown their interest in the pumped storage plant.
