New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had issued an order for the scale-up and expansion of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme. The new target is to achieve enhanced solar capacity of 30.8 Gigawatt (GW) by 2022 with revised Central financial support of Rs 34,035 crore.
PM-KUSUM scheme has been launched for the farmers by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for the installation of grid-connected solar, solar pumps, and other renewable power plants all over India. It aims to promote renewable energy in the agricultural area along with providing financial support to the farmers.
@mnre issues order for scale-up and expansion of #PMKUSUM Scheme to achieve enhanced solar capacity of 30.8 GW by 2022 with revised central financial support of Rs. 34,035 Cr. @MinOfPower @PIB_India @RajKSinghIndia @airnewsalerts @DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/sgyvZPzoTt
— Ministry of Renewable Energy (MNRE) (@mnreindia) November 9, 2020
In a statement, MNRE said that after the scheme expansion, solar power plants can be installed on pasture land and marshy land of farmers besides barren, fallow and agricultural land.
The size of solar plants has also been reduced to enable participation of small farmers.
MNRE had amended and clarified the implementation guidelines of the PM-KUSUM Scheme based on the learnings from the implementation of the scheme during the first year.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the PM-KUSUM scheme in its meeting held on February 19, 2019.
The scheme consists of three components. Component-A includes installation of decentralised ground-mounted grid-connected renewable power plants, Component-B includes installation of standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps and Component-C includes solarisation of grid-connected agriculture pumps.
The scheme aims at providing financial and water security to farmers. The scheme aimed to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022. The total Central financial support then supposed to be provided under the scheme was Rs 34,422 crore.
-CHK
