Bihar to Power Agricultural Feeders with 1200 MW Solar Energy for Sustainable Farming

The state government is providing electricity to all the farmers for agricultural work from dedicated feeders. Now this electricity to the farmers will be provided from solar energy or renewable energy. In the third phase of this scheme, feeders will be energized through 1200 MW solar power plant. Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar has already given instructions to make detailed efforts to develop this solar energy, calling it renewable energy. Calling it real energy, he has included it in the 11 action plans of Jal Jeevan Hariyali Yojana started in 2019.

In view of this, the Energy Department has started the exercise. Currently, all the electricity that farmers get from DDK feeders is provided from thermal energy plants. This electricity is very expensive. The state government is looking for an alternative to this through renewable energy.

The government has decided to provide solarization of agricultural feeders i.e. energy from the sun. So that electricity is generated through solar energy and made available to farmers during the day itself. This will not require farmers to work extra hard for irrigation at night. The tender for this third phase of the scheme has been published. The Department of Information and Public Relations will soon publish it in all newspapers.

Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said that providing electricity to agricultural feeders with the help of solar energy will greatly help in providing uninterrupted electricity to farmers. This will reduce the subsidy currently being given on electricity rates. It will help in promoting renewable energy in the state.

State Chief Secretary Shri Amrit Lal Meena said that this is the most important initiative in view of the state's increasing energy needs in the future. Solarization of agricultural feeders will be very helpful in dealing with situations like drought. In the second phase, 112 companies are participating in the tender. Investment in this will also give sustainable returns to investors in the future.

All the remaining farmers will start getting benefits by June

By June this year, all the farmers of the state will start getting electricity from dedicated feeders for irrigation and other agricultural works. The state needs three thousand such feeders, out of which two and a half thousand are ready. The remaining target will be achieved by June. Apart from this, there are 2 lakh 85 thousand farmers in the state, whose agricultural connection has not been given to them even after the application. On the special instructions of the Chief Minister, agricultural connections will be provided to all the remaining farmers by June 2025. The electricity department has started working on this.

5.55 lakh farmers got connection

So far, 5 lakh 55 thousand farmers have been given connections under the Chief Minister Agricultural Pump Vidyut Connection Scheme from the agricultural feeders of the state. The remaining farmers will be given connections by the end of this year.

The government is currently giving a subsidy of 3970 crores

8 thousand MW of electricity is consumed in the state, out of which 1150 MW of electricity is made available to farmers for irrigation. At present, this electricity is purchased from thermal power plants at the normal rate of Rs 6.74 and is made available to farmers at the rate of Rs 0.55. On this, an average subsidy of Rs 3970 crore is provided by the government annually.

1235 feeders constructed in the first phase

Under the first phase, 1235 dedicated feeders have been constructed from 843 power substations in the state. In this, tender has been invited for the selection of a developer of 800 MW. After getting approval from the Exchange Commission, power purchase agreement has been made by issuing an office order to 3 agencies to develop 17.85 MW energy for solarization of 8 feeders of 6 power substations.

Tender invited for the second phase

Tender has been invited for the second phase of the scheme. In this, 3681 feeders (both agricultural load and dedicated) of 1121 substations will be energized through 1600 MW Shaurya Energy Plant.

So far 180 MW solar projects have been installed

So far 180 MW solar projects have been started in the state. Floating solar projects have been constructed in Darbhanga and Supaul. Work is also being done on a floating solar project in Phulwaria, Rajauli. Under the Grid Connected Rooftop Scheme, 91 MW solar rooftop power plants have been installed on the roofs of 9821 government buildings. Under the Grid Connected Rooftop Scheme, 18.43 MW solar rooftop power plants have been installed on the roofs of 5182 private buildings. Solar street lights have been installed in all the panchayats of the state under the Chief Minister Solar Street Light Scheme.

Electricity 10 times cheaper than diesel

The state government is giving more than 92 percent subsidy on electricity bills to farmers. It is more than 10 times cheaper than diesel. Along with free electricity connection to the farmers of the state for irrigation, agricultural industrialization is also getting a rapid boost due to uninterrupted and quality power supply without any hindrance. So far, more than 5.60 lakh farmers in the state have got the benefit of this subsidized electricity.