(a) the steps taken by the government to boost non-conventional energy sector;
(b) the target set to provide energy facilities to the far flung villages of the country;
(c) whether solar energy is likely to be provided to the people living below poverty line at a rate lower than its actual cost;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY OF NON- CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI VILAS MUTTEMWAR)
(a), (b), (c), (d) & (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
Statement referred in reply to parts (a), (b), (c), (d) & (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 496 for 29.4.2005 regarding Solar Energy to Villages.
(a): Provision of Central Financial Assistance (CFA), fiscal incentives such as accelerated depreciation, concessional custom and excise duties apart from preferential tariff are available for promotion of grid-interactive renewable electricity. CFA and fiscal incentives are also available for renewable energy systems / devices for rural, urban, industrial and commercial applications in order to make the same affordable. District Advisory Committees (DACs) on Renewable Energy with the District Collector as Chariman are being constituted for the accelerated and coordinated implementation of renewable energy programmes in an integrated manner with other rural development programmes. So far, around 400 DACs have been set up across the country. In order to create mass awareness about renewable energy, several steps have been taken which include, the 20th August being declared as `Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas` in order to create mass awareness at the national, state, district, block & village levels; release of special postage stamp on renewable energy on the occasion of the `Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas`; three major conferences organized on grid power, rural and urban applications respectively; bi-monthly news letter `Akshay Urja` has been released in Hindi & English for wider circulation of developments in the sector; pamphlets and booklets to provide information on renewable energy technologies, systems / devices; provision of Mobile Exhibition Vans; and establishing Aditya Solar Shops to provide retail outlets for renewable energy products and back-up support services.
(b), (c), (d) & (e): Over 25,000 remote unelectrified census villages, where grid extension is neither cost-effective nor feasible, are to be electrified through renewable means, including solar energy of which 5,000 such remote villages are to be electrified during the 10th Plan period. Under the remote village electrification programme, CFA upto 90% of the project cost is being provided for electrification of households in remote unelectrified census villages, including those living below the poverty line.