Punjab Newsline, New Delhi/Chandigarh, November 13-
Punjab Power and PWD Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has demanded that the Centre government should provide subsidy for Biomass Power Projects that will help in tackling stubble burning in northern states.
Expressing his views during the Conference of Power Ministers of States and UTs held in Delhi under chairmanship of Union Power Minister Mr. Manohar Lal Khattar, Punjab Cabinet Minister emphasized for providing subsidy of Rs five crore at the rate of per mega watt (MW) to Biomass energy plants to help the States like Punjab to address the problem of pollution arising from stubble burning.
He further said that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energies Provides Rs.4000 crores for plants producing 4.8 ton Compressed Biogas ( CBG) Per day. With almost equivalent use of Paddy Straw, a biomass plant can produce one megawatt electricity. As the stubble is used in biomass energy like in that of CBG production, financial support in the form of subsidy or Viability Gap Funding (V.G.F) should also be given to biomass projects that will not only make the projects viable for states by decreasing per unit cost but also help in tackling stubble burning on large scale.