To promote and develop power generation from New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE), the Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday approved the amending of NRSE Policy-2012 and waived off two per cent transmission and wheeling charges for wheeling on solar and NRSE power within the State. The said policy would now enable the farmers to set up solar plant of minimum one Mega Watt and maximum of 2.5 Mega Watt on their land. It would give additional source of regular income to the farmers.
Under the amended policy, the Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl), or licensee or the Punjab State Transmission Corporation limited (PSTCl) would undertake to transmit or wheel the NRSE power through its grid, to consumers located in the state without any transmission and wheeling charges on the energy fed to the grid, irrespective of the distance from the generation station. “This exemption would also encourage third party sale of NRSE power and captive power producers, who would also be benefited as NRSE power would be transmitted and wheeled without any chargesIJ," said the spokesperson.
The move would attract farmers to invest in NRSE sector with these lucrative exemption benefits being provided by the state government besides this initiative would also open up avenues of NRSE power sale in the open accessIJ or third party sale sector within the state. The State Government has also made provision in the policy to promote Canal Top Solar, Canal Bank Solar, Reservoir Solar and Hybrid NRSE projects and to promote distributor solar generation by land owning farmers in the state.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet also gave approval to amend the Punjab Village Common lands (Regulation) Rules, 1964, thereby allowing the Industrial, IT, Food Processing and Textile parks, solar plants, Special Economic Zones or any such similar investment cluster in the state to sub-lease up to 75 percent of leased land for similar activities.
The Cabinet also gave nod to convert ‘The Punjab Development of Trade, Commerce and Industries Bill, 2015’ into an Ordinance to provide for the non-discriminatory and compensatory levy of tax on the entry of specified goods into the local area for development of trade, commerce and industries and the matters connected therewith or incidental there to. The Cabinet also approved to amend Village Panchayat land lease Policy of Shamlaats lands to allot 25 instead of 10 acre land for the Gaushalas on lease basis for 33 years.