Punjab allocates Rs 100 crore to set up solar plants for tubewells

CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab government plans to set up solar photovoltaic projects to run over 2000 agriculture pump sets by extending 80 per cent subsidy in 2017-18. In the budgetary provision for 2017-18, finance minister Manpreet Badal made an allocation of Rs 100 crore under the scheme.

Punjab provides free power to over 10 lakh agriculture tubewells and incumbent Congress government has announced to continue the subsidy on power. The state government was liable to pay Rs 6364 crore as power subsidy to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited for supply to agriculture sector, BPL and SC households in 2016-17, as per the tariff orders of Punjab State Electricity Board. The regulator had fixed the free power to agriculture consumers at Rs 5197 crore for the last financial year.

Fulfilling his pre poll promise chief minister Amarinder Singh had earlier announced to fix the power tariff at Rs 5 per unit for existing and new industry in the state.