The Punjab Government, on Sunday, announced 40 per cent subsidy on purchase of solar pumps to incentivise the farmers for using these pumps for irrigation.
For providing this subsidy to the farmers of the State, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has sanctioned Rs5 crore.
A solar pump costs nearly Rs2.50 lakh, of which 40 per cent (Rs1 lakh) and 30 per cent (Rs75,000) as subsidy is borne by the State Government and the Centre respectively, while balance 30 per cent is to be paid by the farmer.
Badal, however, said that the priority would be given to those farmers who opt for crop diversification programme, whereby they shift land under paddy to alternative crops like sugarcane, cotton, maize, soyabean, oilseeds, pulses, fruits and vegetables.
The State Government has embarked the crop diversification program with the twin objective to shift the major chunk of cultivable land under paddy to alternative crops on one hand, and ensuring remunerative returns to the farmers of their produce on the other.