Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, held a key review meeting in Lucknow with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to assess the progress of major schemes such as wheat procurement, PM-KUSUM, and PM Surya Ghar.
During the meeting, the state reaffirmed its goal of achieving a solar power capacity of 22 GW. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi commended Uttar Pradesh for its leadership in the successful implementation of flagship initiatives like PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar.
Highlighting the state’s commitment to efficient wheat procurement, CM Yogi Adityanath shared on Twitter that 1.40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had already been procured in Uttar Pradesh by April 9. He emphasized that, to meet the procurement target within the stipulated timeframe, the state government has been taking proactive steps.
Before the harvesting season, district and divisional level officers were deployed to villages to connect directly with farmers, inform them about the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Government of India, and encourage them to bring their wheat to procurement centres. To further facilitate the process, wheat is being procured through mobile purchase centres, with all procurement centres remaining open even on holidays and operating with extended hours.
Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, farmers are transitioning from conventional electricity to solar-powered systems, benefiting from government subsidies of up to 90%. This initiative has made solar energy both accessible and economically viable for the farming community.
Later, the Union Minister visited Duggaur village in Bakshi Ka Talab tehsil to inspect a solar pump project implemented under the PM-KUSUM C-1 scheme. A local farmer, Mohammad Ahsan Ali Khan, has installed an 11.2 kW on-grid solar plant to power his 7.5 HP irrigation pump. The total cost of the project was Rs 6.23 lakh, with Rs 1.87 lakh provided as a central subsidy, Rs 3.74 lakh from a state subsidy, and only around Rs 62,000 contributed by the farmer himself.
Since becoming operational, the plant has generated 8,945 units of electricity, with 7,100 units sold to the grid and the remaining 1,845 units used for irrigation. This has not only made Ahsan energy self-reliant but has also enabled him to earn additional income.
Energy Minister A.K. Sharma thanked the Union Minister for allocating 3.7 lakh solar pumps to Uttar Pradesh under the PM-KUSUM Scheme’s Component C, aimed at feeder-level solarization. Pralhad Joshi also visited the wheat procurement centre at Mohanlalganj Mandi in Lucknow to observe the ongoing procurement process. He reviewed the use of e-POP (Electronic Point of Procurement) technology, which has significantly enhanced accuracy and transparency in weighing and payment processes. Farmers shared that, thanks to this digital system, they are now receiving timely payments and fair measurements, which has boosted their trust in the procurement process run by both the central and state governments.
During the meeting, UP Energy Minister A.K. Sharma and Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, were also present.
