Make clean energy integral part of Swachh Bharat: Majithia

Punjab government today sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to make clean energy as an integral part of the 'Swachh Bharat' mission.
"The government requests Modi to make clean energy as an integral part of Swachh Bharat Mission to save future generations from long term adverse effects of pollution from traditional sources of energy," Punjab's Non Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said here.
Inaugurating a conference on 'Roof Top Solar Power generation under Net Metering Policy' here, he said that it was imperative to give a big boost to clean energy including solar, hydel, wind and bio-mass which could be achieved only by mission mode.

"As the Prime Minister has made Swachh Bharat Pan India mission, making clean energy as part this mission will serve twin purposes of making India power surplus without polluting environment," he said.
Seeking liberal tax concessions, subsidised loans including income tax breaks for clean energy projects, Majithia said that the Prime Minister must take initiative to make India number one country by harnessing clean energy by including it in Swachh Bharat Mission.
He advocated the need for ensuring availability of low interest rate loans and income tax incentives for setting up of new renewable energy projects to make these more economically viable.

Citing the example of Dera Beas, near Amritsar, for setting up of one of the largest roof top solar power project of 7.5 MW in just eight months and their further plan to add 27.5 MW, Majithia said that such success stories need to be publicized in a big way.
He said that Union New and Renewable energy Minister Piyush Goyal in his last visit to Punjab has in principle approved a 2000 MW 'Solar Power Park' throughout the state and the Punjab government was roping local governments both corporations/councils and village panchayats for making available required land.
He said that Punjab has already taken a step by enhancing its solar power capacity up to 6 times in last two years besides completing around 40 MW of solar power generation five months in advance out of the ongoing 250 MW such projects under implementation with deadline of March 2015.