Central and state governments are trying and adopting every possible way to fulfill Prime Minister Modi’s vision of doubling farmer’s income by 2022. In this series, the Modi government has recently started the Farmer Energy Security and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM), keeping in mind the areas of the country which has been facing the power problem since decades. Moreover, Kusum Yojana, which was announced by former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during the Union Budget 2018-19, is all set to run diesel / electric pumps used for irrigation across the country with solar energy.
What is PM KUSUM Yojana?
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar and other renewable power plants in the country. The scheme aims to add solar and another renewable capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022 with the total central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Crore including service charges to the implementing agencies.
How Farmers will be benefitted from Kusum Yojana?
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The scheme will open a stable and continuous source of income to the rural landowners for a period of 25 years by utilization of their dry/uncultivable land. Further, in case cultivated fields are chosen for setting up solar power projects, the farmers could continue to grow crops as the solar panels are to be set up above a minimum height.
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The Kusum scheme can benefit the farmers in two ways. Firstly, they will get free electricity for irrigation and secondly if they make additional electricity and send it to the grid, then they will also get their income.
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Apart from this, farmers will have to pay only 10% of the amount for installing solar energy equipment. The remaining amount will be given as a subsidy in the bank account by the central government to the farmers.
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Under Kusum Yojana, banks will give a 30% amount as loans to farmers. So at the same time, the government will give 60% of the total cost of the solar pumps as a subsidy to the farmers.
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It is to be noted that, only irrigation pumps of farmers will be included in the first phase of Kusum Yojana which is currently running with diesel. According to an estimate of the government, arrangements will be made to run 17.5 lakh such irrigation pumps with solar energy. This will help in curbing diesel consumption and crude oil imports.
What is the major goal of the KUSUM scheme?
Under this yojana, the central government will distribute 27.5 lakh solar pumps free of cost across the country. The main motive behind the Kusum scheme which has started in July 2019 is to save the electrical power and fuel. If solar energy is used in all irrigation pumps of the country, then not only the electricity can be saved, but it will also be possible to produce 28 thousand MW additional powers, say reports.
Expanded to Cover More Farmer
Aiming to reach the target of farmer’s doubling income by 2022, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme will be expanded to cover 20 lakh farmers across the nation, said the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Union Budget speech 2020 on Saturday.
To get more information and to apply for KUSUM Yojana, you can visit https://mnre.gov.in/
