Cap on solar water pumps price provided to farmers

TNN / Sep 17, 2023, 09:06 IST

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Cap on solar water pumps price provided to farmers

Lucknow: Prices of solar powered water pumps provided to farmers under PM Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme may soon be shielded from market fluctuations – in a key move aimed at encouraging the farming community and boosting agriculture production.
Highly placed sources in the agriculture department said the Centre has asked the state government to fix the prices of solar pumps during the tendering process and bear the additional cost in case prices rises in the market.
The solar voltaic irrigation pumps entail a certain cost, part of which is given by the beneficiary while the subsidy is divided between the Centre and the state governments. While the Centre plans to keep its subsidy borne by it unchanged the state government would bear the cost of additional subsidy in the eventuality of the rise in prices. In case the prices come down, the state government would provide an additional number of pumps to the farmers.
The state government has formally issued an amended work plan for implementation of the scheme in 2023-24.

According to a letter issued by state agriculture department on September 15, the government will be installing solar pump sets (of capacity 2 HP to 10 HP) by replacing the existing diesel-powered ones. This will save electricity as well as expensive fuel.
Experts said the primary aim of installing solar pumps was to reduce the cost of agriculture. The ministry of New and Renewable Energy on July 22, 2019 had issued a guideline saying that the Centre and the state governments would each bear the partial cost of the stand-alone pumps. The government suggested that the farmers may also take bank loans to pay for the pumps.

The letter said the state government would provide as many as 30,000 solar power pumps – of varied capacities -- in 2023-24. The Centre and state governments would together bear the partial cost amounting to Rs 434.94 crore.
Farmers seeking installation of solar pumps are required to get themselves registered with the state agriculture department. They also need to select the capacity of the pumps (2 HP, 3 HP, 5 HP, 7.5 HP and 10 HP). The department provides a token to the farmers on a first-come-first-serve basis. For this, farmers are required to deposit a sum of Rs 5000.

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