UP To Provide Subsidised Solar Pumps To Over 50,000 Farmers Under PM Kusum

UP To Provide Subsidised Solar Pumps To Over 50,000 Farmers Under PM Kusum

Uttar Pradesh government has recently announced that it will provide solar pumps to more than 54,000 farmers in the state at subsidised rate this year. These solar pumps will be provided to farmers under the PM-KUSUM Scheme (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana) which aims to promote the use of renewable energy sources in agriculture, according to the press release by UP CMO. The cost of the pumps will be partly borne by the central and state governments.

According to the press release, farmers across the state will have to register online on the department’s website www.agriculture.up.gov.in, and pay a token amount of Rs 5,000 to avail of the benefit of the scheme. The process for registration will continue till tomorrow, February 29.

Further, farmers will have a choice of nine types of solar pumps, ranging from 2 HP to 10 HP, across the surface and submersible categories. , who will provide grants to the farmers. The farmers will have to pay the remaining amount after deducting the subsidies and the registration fee., according to press release by Uttar Pradesh CMO.

In December last year, Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power R.K. Singh informed that 2.73 lakh standalone solar pumps have been installed under PM-KUSUM as of October 31, 2023. Not surprisingly, Component A has barely seen installations, with Component C being disappointing. Component B has fared better relatively.

States such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra have been extremely slow to take off with respective capacities of 500 MW, 424 MW, 600 MW, and 700 MW being sanctioned. However, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu despite the ambitious sanctioned capacities have failed to see installations while Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have installed just 11 MW and 2 MW respectively.