Farmers to get solar pump sets, scheme starts tomorow

Punjab Government is going to launch a new scheme from September 9 for providing 20,000 agriculture solar pump sets to the farmers of the state. Famers can apply on the website www.pmkusum.peda.gov.in from September 9 onwards till September 30.

Aman Arora, Minister for New and Renewable Energy Resources, said here today that farmers were facing problems in getting new power connections for their agriculture pump sets. Stating that the Centre had earlier banned new connections of agriculture pump sets, the state government had made efforts to provide them to farmers now, he added.

Arora further said that 20,000 new connections to agriculture solar pump sets would be given for three horsepower (HP), five HP, seven-and-a-half HP and 10 HP motors.

The approximate market price of the solar pump sets for three HP motor is ~2.9 lakh, five HP motor ~ 3.3 lakh, seven-and-a-half HP motor ~4.15 lakh and 10 HP motor ~5.57 lakh. These would be given at subsidised rates to the farmers falling in different categories.

Arora said that out of 20,000 agriculture solar pump sets, 15,000 would be given to general category farmers, 2000 to SC farmers and 3000 to panchayats. However, the allotment of agriculture solar pump sets would be done on ‘first come, first serve’ basis.