Chandigarh, May 12, 2013: In a bid to further incentivise the farmers of the state to make optimum use of solar pumps for irrigation, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced 40% subsidy on these pumps towards the promotion of state’s flagship program of Agriculture diversification.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that, the Chief Minister also sanctioned Rs 5 crore for providing subsidy to the farmers besides fruits and vegetable growers on these solar pumps. It may be recalled that a solar pump costs nearly Rs 2.50 lakh of which 40% (Rs 1 lakh) and 30% (Rs 75000) as subsidy is borne by the state Government and Government of India (GoI) respectively and the balance 30% which works out to be Rs 75000 has to be paid by the beneficiary farmer.
The Chief Minister however said that the priority would be given to those farmers opting for crop diversification program embarked by the state government with the twin objective to shift the major chunk of cultivable land under paddy to alternative crops like sugarcane, cotton, maize, soyabean, oilseeds, pulses besides fruits and vegetables on one hand and ensuring remunerative returns to the farmers of their produce on other.