Solar Plants From Panchayats To Secretariat: Congress

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka today announced that the State government had taken a strategic decision to significantly increase solar power production, and that solar power plants would be installed in all government facilities across the State - from Gram Panchayat buildings to the Secretariat - to generate electricity on a large scale.

The Deputy CM held a video conference from the Secretariat with district Collectors to review the installation of solar plants on government buildings and the implementation of the Indira Solar Girijana Vikasam scheme in ROFR lands.

On the occasion, Vikramarka instructed that plans of all district Collector offices, parking areas and canteens be sent to Hyderabad.

He said that since all Collectorates in the State had been built with the same design, the blueprints required for the installation of solar power plants in them would be sent from Hyderabad. However, if any Collectorate had better designs, the respective Collectors could submit them to Hyderabad, he added.

Apart from in government offices, the Deputy Chief Minister directed that solar power plants be installed on government schools, junior colleges, degree colleges and higher education institution buildings, and that the details of these buildings be sent.

Collectors were also instructed to provide details of large vacant lands available under the jurisdiction of the Irrigation Department and the Roads & Buildings Department.

"Under the ROFR Act, 6.70 lakh acres of land were distributed by the then Congress government in agency areas. Under the Nallamala Declaration, the government now plans to provide free solar pumpsets for these lands through the Indira Solar Girijana Vikasam scheme. The program has already started in the Achampet constituency, and the government plans to launch it in select areas of Adilabad district this month," Bhatti said.

He also said that the State government considered the Indira Solar Girijana Vikasam scheme a prestigious project.

The Deputy CM urged the Collectors to submit the required details within a week without delay. In case of any doubts, they were advised to contact the Principal Secretary for Energy, the CMDs of SPDCL and NPDCL, or the VC & MD of REDCO.