New Delhi: Inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of three solar projects worth Rs 5,300 crore in Rajasthan on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that no country can progress without access to electricity. “No country can progress without adequate access to electricity. The pace at which the Congress party was addressing this challenge would have required decades to resolve the electricity shortage. Upon assuming office, we prioritised addressing the nation’s power challenges. We formulated policies, made decisive choices, and placed a significant emphasis on emerging sectors such as solar energy generation. Today, Bharat stands as a global leader in solar energy production, a testament to our efforts.”
“Rajasthan, with its abundant blessings from the Sun God, holds immense potential in this regard. Consequently, the double-engine government is diligently working to make Rajasthan self-sufficient in electricity production. Today, we inaugurated a solar power plant and laid the foundation stones for two more plants. These projects will not only provide electricity but also create employment opportunities for thousands of youngsters,” said the PM. He laid the foundation stones of NLCIL Barsingsar Solar Project, a 300-MW solar power project, to be established in the vicinity of Barsingsar Thermal Power Station, and NHPC’s 300-MW solar power project in Bikaner district, Rajasthan. He also inaugurated NTPC Green Energy Limited’s 300-MW Nokhra Solar PV Project, developed in Bikaner Rajasthan.
Referring to the PM Surya Ghar scheme, Modi said, “The BJP government is committed to enabling every household to generate solar energy and even help them earn income by selling surplus electricity. To achieve this, the Central government has launched a significant initiative known as the PM Surya Ghar scheme, meaning the Free Electricity Plan. Under this scheme, the government aims to provide up to 300 units of free electricity per month to eligible households.”
The Prime Minister said that initially, this scheme will benefit 1 crore families across the country. “The Central government will send assistance directly to the bank account of every family for installing solar panels on the rooftop. An allocation of Rs 75,000 crores has been earmarked for this purpose. Middle-class and lower-middle-class families stand to gain the most, as they will receive free electricity for their homes. Furthermore, banks will offer affordable and easily accessible loans for solar panel installations. I am informed that the Rajasthan government also plans to install solar panels in 5 lakh households, underscoring the significant efforts of the double-engine government to alleviate the financial burden on the poor and middle class,” he added.
Along with solar power projects, the Prime Minister also Indian Oil’s LPG bottling plant at Jodhpur and dedicated to the nation power transmission projects worth more than Rs 2,100 crore in the state. In addition, the PM also dedicated to the nation national highway projects, inaugurated and laid foundation stones of various railway projects and other projects under Jal Jeevan Mission.