Stressing the need for alternative energy in the country, Union Minister for Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah targeted Bharatiya Janta Party when without taking any name he claimed that development is now taking back seat as some political parties are more interested in creating dispute over religion for their vested vote politics.
“lord Ram is the God of all people and the world whether it is Hindu or Muslims. But some political parties are trying to create a dispute over the religion and shedding the issue of development,” he said without taking the name of BJP. He was speaking during inauguration of a Biomass Energy based village electrification and cold storage project at Bilaria village in (Sidhauli) Sitapur on Thursday morning. “We should think of Hindustan first, then our mere
Politics,” the National Conference founder said. Taking the opportunity to hail the achievement of the United Progressive Alliance government in the Centre, Dr Abdullah said the present government has done a lot for development and the main work will be to provide all the villages with electricity. “Providing electricity will automatically stop the rural exodus towards the cities as industries would start coming up in the villages,” he said, while adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too has expressed concern over the need of electricity in the remotest part of the country. He said still India is lagging behind in electricity and still 40 per cent of the population is yet to see an electric bulb in their houses.
“The change in the environment is also causing danger to our mountains which is melting. If we don’t do something then there would be water scarcity and rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Jhelam and Sind would be waterless,” he claimed. Stressing the need for promotion of solar power in the country, Dr Abdullah said two years ago solar power was costing around Rs 18 a unit but now it has become cheap and can be availed at Rs 6 to 7 per unit. Appreciating the biomass based power unit, the Union minister announced that such units would be set up in other parts of
Uttar Pradesh and appealed to the people to participate actively in running these units efficiently. Environmental scientist R K Pauchari, whose The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) organistion is associated with the project, claimed that such projects would give independence to the village. Rs Rs With such projects, life of the women and children in the villages would change as they will get electricity for education and for other purpose,’ he claimed. The 50 KW advanced biomass gasifier power generation system has been installed with the financial aid from AusAID in partnership with CSIRO. It provides electricity to 140 houselolds in two villagtes of Bakipur and Raispur in Bilarai of Kasmanda block of Sitapur district. The power unit also helps run a cold storge of 15 metric tonne capacity and the consumers pay their bills through prepaid meters. The entire unit is operated by village community.