| Work Detail |
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, held a review meeting in Lucknow with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The focus of the meeting was to assess the progress of wheat procurement along with the implementation of the PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar schemes. The meeting was also attended by Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister Shri A.K. Sharma and Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Smt. Nidhi Khare. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath thanked the Union Minister for visiting Uttar Pradesh and reviewing the progress of these key schemes. He said that the visit reflects the Centre’s commitment to ensuring that farmers and citizens from low- and middle-income groups benefit from the schemes on the ground. Uttar Pradesh once again confirmed its aim of achieving 22 GW of solar energy capacity and highlighted its focus on expanding renewable energy projects in the state. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi appreciated the efforts made by the state government and said that Uttar Pradesh has shown strong commitment to implementing the central government’s flagship schemes. He mentioned that under the PM-KUSUM scheme, farmers are now moving away from traditional electricity sources and adopting solar energy for their agricultural needs. He pointed out that the central government is providing up to 90 percent subsidy under this scheme, making it easier for farmers to set up solar systems at much lower costs. As part of his visit, the Union Minister went to Duggaur village in Bakshi Ka Talab tehsil of Lucknow. There, he inspected a solar pump project established under the PM-KUSUM C-1 scheme. The project belongs to a local resident, Mohammad Ahsan Ali Khan, who installed an 11.2 kW on-grid solar power plant for his private 7.5 HP irrigation pump. The total cost of the solar plant was ?6,23,909. Out of this, ?1,87,173 was given as central subsidy, ?3,74,345 as state subsidy, and the remaining ?62,391 was paid by the farmer himself. Since the solar plant was installed, it has produced 8,945 kWh of electricity. Out of this, 7,100 kWh has been exported to the grid and 1,845 kWh has been used for irrigation purposes. The project has not only helped Ahsan meet his own energy needs but has also allowed him to earn money by selling surplus electricity to the grid. This success story is seen as a good example for other farmers who are considering solar power for their agriculture. Energy Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri A.K. Sharma also expressed his thanks to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi for the support given to the state. He mentioned the central government’s allocation of 3.7 lakh pumps under the PM-KUSUM Component C – Feeder Level Solarization scheme, which will further help farmers access clean energy. Later, the Union Minister visited the wheat procurement center at Mohanlalganj Mandi in Lucknow. There, he observed how the wheat was being procured using the e-POP (Electronic Point of Procurement) machine. He interacted with farmers who told him that the use of e-POP technology has improved transparency, accuracy in weighing, and speed of payment. This has built farmers’ trust in the government’s procurement process. |
