Speaker asks Farooq to consider solar power for Parliament
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today asked Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah to consider provision of solar energy to Parliament, a proposal which he readily agreed to look into.
"I hope you will also look into providing solar energy to Parliament," Kumar told Abdullah during Question Hour.
Her suggestion was welcomed with applause by the House.
Abdullah promised that he would consider the matter at the earliest.
Earlier, Abdullah said his ministry was committed to providing solar power to religious places like the Shirdi shrine. This would also make the common man and the poor aware of the benefits of solar power, he said.
Abdullah praised West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi for using solar energy in the Raj Bhavan and wished other governors would follow his example.
He said state governments should take the initiative and send demands for solar energy as the Central government could not take steps "unilaterally".
Abdullah did not even spare the Jammu and Kashmir government, headed by his son Omar, for failing to send its demands.
In reply to another question, Abdullah said Rs 4,337 crore has been earmarked for Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission till March 2013.
Abdullah said the final funds to be allocated for providing solar energy would be much larger.
The Prime Minister had earlier, in one of his speeches, stated that India had the target of 20,000 MW solar energy by 2020 and promised more funds for the purpose.
Abdullah said his ministry officials had visited hilly states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to look into prospects of solar projects.
Solar energy has been provided to far-flung areas, including border areas like Kargil and Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister said 90 per cent subsidy would be provided by the Central government to solar projects in remote villages. He assured the House that his ministry would start work in Shimla and Hamirpur, two districts declared solar cities by the ministry, soon.
Abdullah informed the House that though National Solar Mission was not a public-private partnership, it envisages major participation of private sector by setting up grid connected solar power projects on Build-Own-Operate basis.
"Private sector will continue to be engaged in setting up of manufacturing units in the country," he said.
Abdullah enumerated the incentives provided by his ministry including concessional customs and excise duty on selected items, preferential tariff for feeding solar power to the grid, 80 per cent accelerated depreciation, capital and interest subsidy for installation of solar energy systems.
