Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 19: Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched various awareness programmes to apprise the farmers of various benefits and incentives being extended by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MNRE, under PM KUSUM scheme, which is primarily meant for uplift of the farmers.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM-KUSUM), a Central Government scheme was launched by the Government of India to increase the income of farmers and provide sources for irrigation for the upgradation of agricultural sector.
Keeping in view the topography and irrigation challenges in Ramban district, the UT level campaign was started from the district to provide maximum benefit to farmers of the district from this beneficiary oriented scheme. The scheme allows the farmers to install subsidized Solar Powered Pumps upto 10 H.P. capacity for irrigation purposes with a choice of AC/DC Surface and Submersible Pumps.
The PM KUSUM scheme has broadly two main components. Under component ‘B’, the Diesel Powered Pumps could be replaced by Solar Pumps and New pumps could also be installed in no-grid areas under decentralized application, whereas under Component ‘C’, Electrical Pumps could be replaced with Solar Powered Pumps by the farmers. Under both the categories, the Ministry provides a subsidy of 50% on the cost of the pump, 30% of the cost is being provided by the Government of J&K and the beneficiary/farmer has to bear only 20% cost of the pump.
The scheme also allows installation of community/cluster based irrigation pumps upto 10HP capacity by Water User Associations.
Notably, an initial target of 500 Solar Pumps has been allocated to Srinagar district, which could bring an investment of Rs 14 crore in the district. The District Level Committees have also been constituted to overlook smooth implementation of PM-KUSUM Scheme in the UT.
It is pertinent to mention that Government constituted three Committees for the implementation of all three components of the PM-KUSUM Scheme and solarisation of the Agricultural and Horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir. In the Union Territory of J&K, Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has planned to install 5,000 Solar Power Pumps under PM-KUSUM scheme in J&K in the first phase.
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