PM Modi Presses upon Upgrading Farmers’ Income with Solar Power Scheme

The solar power scheme aims at enhancing farmer’s living through boosting their income levels by allowing them to sell additional power to the grid through solar plants set up on their barren lands.

During the Independence Day Speech, PM Narendra Modi has laid special emphasis on the application of the solar energy generation and announced the Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) solar power scheme.

The scheme aims at enhancing farmer’s living through boosting their income levels by allowing them to sell additional power to the grid through solar plants set up on their barren lands.

PM Modi considered that among many avenues his government has created for raising farmers’ income solar farming has significant importance.

“We have rolled out the solar farming scheme. Farmers can now earn money from farming and at the same time earn by selling the extra solar power generated at their farms”, Modi said in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort here.

The government has launched the farmer-oriented Rs. 1.4 lakh crore solar farming scheme Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) in 2018-19 budget. The scheme involves decentralized solar power production of up to 28,250 MW over five years.

Also, under the KUSUM solar power scheme, the government has planned to provide 27.5 lakh solar pumps (17.50 lakh standalone and 10 lakh grid-connected). It will help farmers install total 10 GW of Solar Power Plants of intermediate capacity of 0.5 to 2 MW each. The scheme also envisages 50,000 Grid-connected tube-wells/lift irrigation and drinking water projects.

Source: ET