Govt proposes 61% hike for renewable energy ministry

Government on Friday proposed a 61 per cent increase at Rs 1,000 crore for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Last year, the government had alloted Rs 620 crore for the Ministry.  Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also allocated Rs 500 crore to address energy deficiency in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region by setting up solar, small hydro and micro power projects.

The ministry now has a total Plan Outlay of Rs 1,950 crore which includes Rs 950 crore as IEBR (Internal and Extra Budgetary Resource) in the annual plan for the year.

The Ministry has aimed to achieve various targets in the next fiscal, which include ensuring 2972 Mw grid-interactive power capacity addition from wind, small hydro, biomass, and solar power; providing basic electricity facility through renewable energy systems and devices and setting up family-type biogass plants.

It also plans to install solar water heating systems in one million sqm area and promoting energy-efficient buildings and development of solar cities.

Carrying out research and development on new energy technologies and supporting 'new energy' centres and institutions is also on the ministry's agenda in the current financial year.