SRINAGAR, MAY 17: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today inaugurated a week long mega Solar Expo at Kashmir Haat, Exhibition Ground here The expo being held from May 17 to May 23 is being organized by J&K Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) in collaboration with multiple vendors of renewable energy industry and other line departments of Jammu and Kashmir. Dr Mehta appreciated JAKEDA for organizing the expo saying that the initiative will immensely help in raising awareness among the people about the benefits of rooftop solar plants and other beneficiary oriented schemes. He asked JAKEDA to organize more such awareness camps and expos across other parts of the UT so that people there would know about rooftop solar plant, KUSUM scheme and its financing pattern and benefits. The Chief Secretary said that renewable sources of energy holds the future and government envisions a future with reduced dependence on fossil fuel by promoting renewable energy sources. He also noted that besides reducing carbon emissions, the generation of solar energy through rooftop solar programme would also offset power requirements of domestic consumers in J&K there by aiding our Power Discoms to provide quality power to rest of the consumers. He maintained that these are the major initiatives aimed at reducing the dependence of people over fossil fuels for energy. He observed that ultimately the future belongs to renewable energy. He further gave out that the energy besides clean and less hazardous is cost-effective for the people. He encouraged them to readily adopt this futuristic technology for both their domestic and agricultural purposes in order to save their resources and environment as well. The Commissioner Secretary, Science and Technology, Saurabh Bhagat on the occasion remarked that the department is making concerted efforts for the promotion of both these schemes. He made out that Under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GoI’s Schemes, domestic electricity consumers across the UT can install Rooftop Solar PV Plants for electricity purpose and can also avail the benefit of installation of solar powered pumps under PM-KUSUM in order to fulfil their irrigation needs. Moreover it was made out that under this Rooftop Solar scheme, subsidy upto 65 percent is being provided to consumers for installing Solar Photovoltaic rooftops. The solar rooftops are available from 1 KW to 10 KW capacity and five years free maintenance is also provided to the consumers. About the PM-KUSUM, it was said that the same was launched by the Government of India to increase the income of farmers and provide sources for irrigation for the upliftment of agricultural sector. It was also added that the government entails to provide maximum benefit to farmers from this beneficiary oriented scheme. The scheme allows the farmers to install subsidized Solar Powered Pumps upto 10 H.Pcapacity for irrigation purposes with a choice of AC/DC surface and submersible pumps. Under the KUSUM scheme, the Central and the UT government provides a subsidy of upto 80% while as the beneficiary/farmer has to bear only 20% cost of the machinery to avail the benefit of the scheme.
