Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, visited Lucknow today to conduct a review meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The focus of the meeting was to assess the progress of wheat procurement operations and the implementation of the PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar schemes in the state. Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister Shri A.K. Sharma and Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, Smt. Nidhi Khare, were also present during the discussions.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said in a statement, “I thank Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi for taking time out of his busy schedule to ensure the effective ground-level implementation of these ambitious schemes that benefit farmers and citizens from low- and middle-income groups.”
During the meeting, the Government of Uttar Pradesh reiterated its commitment to achieving the target of 22 GW solar energy capacity in the state. Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi appreciated Uttar Pradesh’s leadership in the effective implementation of central government schemes such as PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar.
He mentioned that, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi envisions maximum benefit to farmers through these initiatives. Under PM-KUSUM, farmers are no longer solely dependent on conventional electricity and are instead using clean and affordable solar energy for agriculture.” He emphasized that under these schemes, farmers are eligible for a subsidy of up to 90 percent, significantly reducing the cost of adopting solar energy solutions and making them more accessible to the farming community.
Following the review meeting, Shri Pralhad Joshi visited Duggaur village, located in Bakshi Ka Talab tehsil of Lucknow district, to inspect a solar pump project installed under the PM-KUSUM Component-C1 scheme. In this village, a local farmer, Mohammad Ahsan Ali Khan, has installed an 11.2 kW on-grid solar power plant to operate his private 7.5 HP irrigation pump. The total cost of the solar project was ₹6,23,909, of which ₹1,87,173 was provided as a central subsidy, ₹3,74,345 as a state subsidy, and the farmer himself contributed ₹62,391.
Since its installation, the solar plant has generated a total of 8,945 kWh of electricity. Out of this, 7,100 kWh has been exported to the power grid, while 1,845 kWh has been utilized for irrigation purposes. The project has not only helped in meeting the farmer’s irrigation needs but also contributed to additional income generation through the export of surplus energy to the grid.
