Punjab Energy Development Authority (PEDA) has invited applications for the installation of 20,000 surface and submersible solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM program in 37 blocks.

The last date to submit applications is September 30, 2024.

Of the 20,000 solar pumps, 2,000 are reserved for farmers in the Scheduled Caste category, and 3,000 pumps are for common land of gram panchayats.

The general category will get a 60% subsidy, and Scheduled Caste farmers will get an 80% subsidy.

 

The eligibility criteria are as follows:

• The farmers must be using diesel pumps for open/micro irrigation systems
• The farmers/ panchayats must lift water from village ponds, farm ponds, and diggies with diesel pumps.
• Farmers who want to dig new borewells.

Farmers of other blocks (dark zones) must install micro (drip/sprinkler) irrigation systems on existing borewells.

Panchayats/ farmers who lift water from village ponds, farm ponds, or canal water diggies with diesel pumps in the dark zones are also eligible.

The farmers who have PSPCL electric motor connections or have installed solar pumps for irrigation in their names or their family member’s names are not eligible to apply.

The 12 districts of the 37 blocks are Bathinda, Fazilka, Feropur, Gurdaspur, Hosiarpur, Sri Mukatsar Sahib, Mansa, SBS Nagar, Pathankot, Patiala, Ropar, and SAS Nagar.

The agency recently invited bids to develop 264 MW of solar projects to solarize 75,000 grid-connected pumps under Component-C of the PM-KUSUM program. The 66 projects, each with a capacity of 4 MW, will be near 66 evacuating substations and associated 11 KV transmission lines.

In March, Oswal Pumps (6,471), Shakti Pumps (4,573), AVI Appliances (3,360), Himalayan Solar (1,748), and Rotomag Motors and Controls (1,086) won contracts to supply, install, and commission 24,484 solar water pumping systems from the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency. Alpex Solar also received contacts to commission 1,434 solar water pumps.