Modi govt cannot persist with 'cavalier implementation' of schemes: Cong

The Congress on Sunday attacked the Centre over the implementation of the PM-KUSUM initiative, launched in 2019 to increase the agricultural use of solar energy across the country, and said the Modi government cannot persist with such "cavalier" implementation of schemes.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has revealed some "startling facts" about PM-KUSUM, launched with "great fanfare" in 2019 to increase the agricultural use of solar energy across the country.

"Here's the update from 2024, two years before completion target of 2026: Promise: Installation of 10,000 MW decentralized solar power plants on agriculture land. Reality: 256 MW has been installed (2.56 per cent of target)," Ramesh said in a post on X.

"Promise: Installation of 1.4 million solar pumps. Reality: 397,000 solar pumps installed (about 28% of target)," he said.

"Promise: Solarisation of 3.5 million additional pumps. Reality: 13,562 pumps have been solarized (0.38 per cent of target)," he said.

Ramesh said the only metric that the scheme fares even respectably is the installation of solar pumps.

Further analysis reveals that many of the pumps have been installed only in the three states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, Ramesh said.

Note that all of these states were 'single-engine sarkars', run by the Congress and coalition partners, for much or most of this duration (2019-2024), the Congress leader said.

"The energy transition to renewable sources is a key economic priority for India, given our climate sensitivity, and the substantial economic incentives for clean energy.

"The non-biological PM and his government cannot persist with this cavalier implementation of schemes," Ramesh said.