Youth to be ‘encouraged’ to install solar power projects
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said that the Congress government was working towards encouraging people to set up solar energy projects in the state. He chaired a meeting of officials of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL), energy and other departments here.
He said, “The objective of the initiative is to encourage the youth and entrepreneurs to set up solar energy projects in the private sector in the state.” He added that under the ‘Come and Install Solar Power Projects’ initiative, clear instructions had been given to fast-track the setting up of solar projects.”
Sukhu said that the solar energy projects would play a pivotal role in transforming Himachal Pradesh into a green energy state. He added that such projects not only contribute to improving the economic growth of the region but also generate employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth. Such projects played an important role in maintaining the ecological balance and environmental conservation.
He said, “The government has allocated 300 MW of ground-mounted solar power projects to the private sector, with 62 MW already operational. In the government sector, 32 MW of solar power projects have been established and another 15 MW projects will be made operational soon.”
The Chief Minister reviewed various activities of the HPSEBL and directed the authorities concerned to adopt innovative measure to increase the revenue and resources of the board. Suggestions were invited for the efficient utilisation of resources in various projects and to enhance production capacity.
Sukhu sought the details of energy procurement and expenditure of different ventures and projects. He directed the electricity board to ensure complete transparency and timeliness in the tender process. He also reviewed the technical and commercial losses at divisional and circle levels and gave necessary instructions to the officials concerned. He suggested to them to take steps for revenue mapping to improve management.
Chief Minister’s Principal Adviser Ram Subhag Singh, Chairman of HPSEBL Sanjay Gupta, Chief Minister’s Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, Managing Director of HPSEBL Sandeep Kumar, Director (Energy) Rakesh Kumar Prajapati and Special Secretary (Energy) Arindam Choudhary attended the meeting.
