PEDA shelves solar project for households in Bathinda
BATHINDA : The Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has decided to midway shelve the ambitious ₹ 100-crore project to equip Bathinda households with solar rooftop power infrastructure.
PEDA authorities attribute the decision to stop the project to the commitment of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to provide free 300 units of electricity to all households across the state.
But sources say that following the allegations of adopting pick-and-choose of the beneficiaries during the previous Congress regime made the authorities to take the decision to avoid criticism.
The project was conceived by former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and rolled out for more than 9,000 underprivileged families in his Bathinda Urban constituency on December 11, 2021, two months before
the state assembly elections.
It was seen as a major initiative to bring people closer to renewable energy resources that would further provide relief in terms of reduction in power bills.
The project was aimed for the households to maintain up to 1 kw capacity meters.
PEDA managing director (MD) Sumeet Jarangal said the sum of ₹ 68 crore has already been returned to the state gov
ernment and another ₹12 crore would be returned next week.
He said a legal contract with a private agency hired for installing infrastructure in Bathinda would be annulled soon.
“We expect to provide solar rooftop to a maximum of 2,000 households in the coming days at the estimated cost of ₹20 crore. The private party has been apprised of annulling of the project and modalities are being chalked out,” MD added.
Jarangal said since the government has announced free power to domestic subscribers, it became undesirable to spend funds on the project that was aimed at reducing the power bill burden on the identified families with financially humble backgrounds.
“PEDA is a nodal agency to promote green energy and we can pursue it through funds under corporate social responsibility (CSR) or central schemes. We are working to convert all government sector offices to equip with unconventional energy production resources,” he said.
Jarangal confirmed that only a handful of applicants were found eligible as per the laid down guidelines for the project.
“As per the data based on field inspection, out of 9,082 applicants, only 1,206 persons were found eligible to date. We are re-examining the claimants and another 800 may be added to the list. All units will be made functional in another 10-15 days,” he said.