Punjab Farmers Could Earn from Surplus Solar, Govt Says

The state government is mulling a policy of incentivizing farmers for producing surplus solar power through solar pumps for use in farming. The policy, as said by New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Aman Arora during the state assembly, would open doors for farmers in the field of renewable energy and enhance the clean energy capacity of the state.

The farmers under the new policy will be compensated for any excess solar energy generated beyond their needs. The surplus power will be fed to the state grid to augment Punjab's power and minimize dependence on fossil fuels. The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has promised the installation of 20,000 solar pumps for irrigation, and more than 5,000 already have been handed over to the farmers.

The government has also provided major contributions when it comes to rooftop solar power installations. 4,474 government buildings have been fitted with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels until now and they produce 34 MW of solar power, producing more than 4.90 crore units of electricity annually. 100 MW capacity solar power units are also to be fitted in government buildings in the following two financial years by the PEDA. The proposals align with the state government's vision of controlling distribution losses and achieving renewable energy goals as instructed by the regulatory authorities.

In a follow-up, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond revealed instances of financial misconduct in Ferozepur's Panchayat Samiti. A Rs 1.80 crore false withdrawal of grants from the 15th Finance Commission was trapped, and an FIR was filed at Police Station Ferozepur City. Among those officers charge-sheeted for the inquiry are a Block Development and Panchayat Officer and data entry operators. The vigilance department has registered the inquiry and orders have been issued to recover the misappropriated sum.

However, Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar inaugurated the state government's scheme to enhance the public transport facilities of the state. The government committed to introducing government buses on routes where no public transport facility is available and introducing new routes on people's demands. Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) runs 290 buses under the kilometer scheme.

Apart from this, there was also the alleged lack of good healthcare centers during the session of the assembly, with the issue of lack of medical officers in the state-run hospitals having been raised by Congress MLA Hardev Singh Laddi. These expose are a show of Punjab's continued efforts in the infrastructural growth of the state, sustainable energy, and governance.

Source: Punjab Assembly Proceedings