Mumbai, Mar 10 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday informed the state assembly that eight lakh farmers have benefited from the government’s flagship solar agricultural feeder scheme, which provides them with affordable daytime electricity.
Fadnavis, who holds the energy portfolio, informed the state assembly that work on a 4,000 MW capacity under the Chief Minister Solar Agricultural Feeder Scheme (Mukhyamantri Solar Krushi Vahini Yojana 2.0) has been completed, and the government plans to scale up the initiative by an additional 10,000 MW.
He expressed confidence that the initiative will enable the state to provide daytime electricity to nearly 75 per cent of farmers, and efforts are underway to extend the scheme to almost all regions by next year, though some areas still face challenges.
Speaking during the Question Hour, the chief minister also highlighted the positive response from farmers to the Maagel Tyala Saur Krushi Pump Yojana, under which solar-powered agricultural pumps are provided.
He cited the example of a woman farmer, who told him that while she uses solar power generated from the system for irrigation, the surplus electricity can be stored using capacitors and batteries and used at home during the night.
Fadnavis asserted that the government’s effort is to ensure at least 10 hours of electricity supply to farmers during the day, as the current average supply is around eight hours in some places.
The state government’s solar scheme has received international recognition, with the International Solar Alliance identifying it as a flagship initiative. The project has received seven to eight international awards, he said.
The Central government has advised other states to adopt a similar model, he added.
Fadnavis said the next phase of the initiative will focus on battery storage systems, which will help store solar energy and enable its round-the-clock utilisation and better integration with the power grid. PTI MR ARU
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.