Maharashtra begins linking farms to solar power

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, November 5

As part of its efforts to do away with subsidised power to farmers, the Maharashtra government has kicked off a programme to provide dedicated solar power connections to farms.

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The first such project has been kicked off in Ralegan-Siddhi in Aurangabad, the village of social activist Anna Hazare. “Farmers will be provided 12 hours of interrupted power in the day time under the 'Mukhyamantri Agricultural Solar Feeder Scheme,' Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said while laying the foundation stone for the project.

Fadnavis said all the farms in the state will be brought under this programme in the next three years. “This scheme will change the face of Maharashtra's agriculture sector,” he added.

According to the state government, each solar feeder plant would receive a subsidy of Rs 3 crore from the central government. This would enable supply of power at the rate of Rs 1.20 per unit to farmers. The cost of enerating solar power has been estimated at Rs 3.25 per unit in Maharashtra.

Welcoming the move harness solar power by farmers, Hazare called upon farmers to make maximum use of solar power in order to save the country from pollution. The veteran social activist said Ralegan Siddhi would soon begin generating electricity from waste as soon as another pilot project initiated by him goes on stream shortly.

Fadnavis told reporters that the Maharashtra government has modified an earlier programme under which it was to provide solar pumps to farmers after distribution and installation of these ran into logistical problems.