DW BUREAU / ChandigarhPunjab Power and PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has demanded that the Centre government should provide subsidy for Biomass Power Projects that will help in tackling stubble burning in northern states.

Expressing his views during the Conference of Power Ministers of States and UTs held in Delhi under chairmanship of Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Punjab Cabinet Minister emphasized for providing subsidy of Rs five crore at the rate of per mega watt (MW) to Biomass energy plants to help the States like Punjab to address the problem of pollution arising from stubble burning.

He further said that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energies Provides Rs.4000 crores for plants producing 4.8 ton Compressed Biogas ( CBG) Per day. With almost equivalent use of Paddy Straw, a biomass plant can produce one megawatt electricity. As the stubble is used in biomass energy like in that of CBG production, financial support in the form of subsidy or Viability Gap Funding (V.G.F) should also be given to biomass projects that will not only make the projects viable for states by decreasing per unit cost but also help in tackling stubble burning on large scale.

He further said with adequate subsidy the per unit cost will come down from Rs. 7.5 to Rs. 5, which is financially viable for the state. Raising another issue Punjab Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO said that under PM KUSUM scheme union government provides 30 percent subsidy for installation of solar agriculture pumps of capacity upto 7.5 HP. But with depletion of ground water table in punjab, the farmers have to install pumps of 15 to 20 HP, the concerned ministry should cover pumps at least upto 15HP capacity for subsidy to boost the use of solar energy in agriculture sector, demanded ETO.

He also urged the Union Power Minister to intervene to expedite the work of BBMB`s two Pumping storage projects with 4300megawatt capacity in Raipur and Garial in Himachal Pradesh. He also stressed to decrease 7 Paise margin per unit to be given by the state to the Solar Energy Corporation of India as it is too high.

Punjab has to bear huge amount of freight charges due to the vast distance from coal producing states. The centre through its agencies should establish Mega Power generation plants in Coal producing states and distribute electricity to far flung states like punjab to unburden them from these unnecessary transportation costs, suggested ETO. CMD PSPCL Mr. Baldev Singh Sran was also present in the conference.