SRINAGAR : The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Gol has accorded sanction to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), a Scheme for upliftment of Farmers in the country.

Under the scheme, subsidized solar powered agriculture pumps in the capacity range of 2 HP to 10 HP shall be installed throughout the country. The scheme envisages 50% subsidy from Central Government, 30% from Govt. of J&K and the balance 20% as farmer’s share. The scheme shall be implemented in J&K by the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), Department of Science & Technology.

As a part of the preparatory activities like identification of beneficiaries, creating awareness for sensitization of the farmers, JAKEDA today invited the Secretary J&K Advisory Board for development of Kisans, its board members from Kashmir Division and other progressive farmers to the office for an interactive session with Chief Executive Officer, JAKEDA.

During the interaction, the farmers were informed about the benefits of these solar pumps over the conventional diesel pumps. In the first phase 5000 solar powered pumps shall be installed in J&K.

With the launch of the scheme, the 20 million grid-connected agriculture water pumps installed in the country, consuming more than 17 percent of total annual electricity consumption of the country, could be saved by solarization of the same. It would also reduce dependence of these pumps on conventional sources of energy supplied by DISCOMs, thus reducing their burden of subsidy on agriculture consumption of electricity. This is further going to provide additional source of income to farmers who will be in a position to sell the surplus power to DISCOMs.