Maharashtra Impulse on Solar Investment – aims Rs 50,000 crore

Well-suited solar conditioned states are collaring to use solar energy, now Maharashtra has opened investments worth Rs 50,000 crore to boost its solar energy project.

The state government, with the Centre and private sectors, is set to bring modifications to reduce solar power cost to make it farmer-friendly in rural Maharashtra.

“The state government is keen on tapping maximum investments in solar sector which would play a crucial role in accomplishing our goal to provide 24 x7 power to Maharashtra”, Fadnavis said.

He added, “The agrarian crisis in a state reeling under drought can be effectively tackled only through making the farmers self-reliant with water and power. The Centre and the state are working together to attain targets albeit with some concern related to cost and infrastructure which are being finetuned.” The chief minister said the state should “bring down installation cost of solar panel to make it more affordable to farmers.”

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held discussions with Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal to spur solar power in the state.

The state government’s stress on solar power is to make the agro-sector, especially in rural Maharashtra, economically viable for which a number of policy measures have been taken. In the last one year, the state government provided 1.5 lakh agriculture pumps to farmers including those in the 14 drought-prone districts. There is a clear directive to the energy department to immediately give connections to farmers on demand and get rid of the waiting period.

Maharashtra is among the first states to take up solar energy on a high scale. It has set a target to provide 5 lakh agriculture pumps operating on solar energy. Presently, the cost for solar power costs Rs 7 per unit. The state and the Centre have heavily subsidized solar power.