India to meet its clean energy target before time: Union Minister

Emphasising on the need to transform the ongoing solar energy progress in India into a social movement, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said the country would meet its renewable target of 175 GW, including 100 GW of solar, before the stipulated time frame of 2022.

"We have set an ambitious target for generation of clean energy including solar and the centre has been working towards its goal. The solar energy progress has started becoming into a social movement. The country will meet its renewable target before the stipulated time," he said here.

He emphasised on harnessing more technology and innovations that are emerging in the solar energy field.

"Solar tariff has come down from Rs 18 a unit to Rs 2.50 per unit because the solar energy movement has been unprecedented. We have to transform the solar initiatives into a social movement," Harsh Vardhan said on the sidelines of an event on Solar Entrepreneurship and Innovations, organised by NB Institute for Rural Technology and Vikram Solar with the support of Department of Science and Technology.

Every house must become solar power generating house, said Harsh Vardhan, who is also the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Asked about the Central government's thrust on big-ticket solar projects while rooftop solar not getting prominence, he said: "The centre has been providing subsidy for roof-top solar and the state government should take up this project. State must popularise roof top solar and make it a movement."

Responding to query on taxes being impose on solar equiment under Goods and Services Tax regime, he said the GST Council would take appropriate decision for the betterment of the sector and the country as a whole.

--IANS

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