The Maharashtra government has launched the Chief Minister Solar Pump Programme for farmers. In the next three years about one lakh pumps will be installed at an investment of about ₹3,435 crore.

A small-scale solar pump programme is already being implemented by Mahadiscom, a government-controlled power distribution utility company.

The decision to lunch the programme was taken at the State Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. In fiscal 2018-19, 25,000 pumps will be installed, another 50,000 pumps by 2019-20 and the remaining 25,000 by 2020-21, a press statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office said.

The programme aims to provide power to the farmers during daylight hours and enhance the irrigation coverage of farmland. Due to power shortages in Maharashtra for the last 15 years, farmers get power for operating pumps and irrigating their land only at night. This power supply schedule has led to many social problems at the village level.

For availing the pump set and solar panel, framers in the open category will only have to pay only 10 per cent of the total cost, rest would be borne by Mahadiscom. Those in the reserved category will have to pay on 5 per cent of the costs.

In a separate development, the State Cabinet has also decided to provide Special Project Vehicle (SPV) status for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. The SPV status has been provided as the project has not received a favourable response from the redevelopers. Between 2007 and 2011 and again in 2016, bids were called on two occasions, whose time limit was extended five times by still the project did not gathered momentum. Dhavari redevelopment faces special problems due to high population and mixed use of land.

To make the redeveloped deal sweeter an SPV status has been provided to the builders, which will reduce State Duty and Property Tax and State GST concessions.

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