Pb minister plans make farmers 'power producers'

Punjab Power Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh today said he has plans to convert farmers in the state from "power consumers to power producer".
Tube well motors of farmers will be replaced with a "five-star" motor that will run on solar power as per the plan, he said.
The minister announced this in a meeting with engineers and officials of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) here.
"Farmers will not only use solar power to run their tube well but they will also sell this power during the idle period," Singh said.
The minister has asked the PSPCL and the PSTCL to study the feasibility of this project.

"This project will not only provide an additional source of income to every son of soil. But the state government will also save Rs 7,000 crore that it used to pay on power subsidy," he said.

Stressing on the fact that one per cent fall in power losses and theft in the state will save Rs 1,800 crore, Singh asked the power department to adopt innovative ideas in their work style.
He asked the Chairman cum Managing Director of PSPCL, A Venu Prasad, to fix responsibilities of employees to increase their accountability.
"We can bring a drastic cut in power losses and thefts by ensuring regular monitoring, using quality products and bringing transparency and efficiency in all financial transactions, including the billing process," the minister said.

Power and Irrigation Minister has also sought innovative ideas and suggestions from engineers and officials of the department.