Punjab  Newsline, Chandigarh, June 6 –

Union Energy Minister Sh. Manohar Lal today appriciated the suggestion of Haryana Energy Minister Anil Vij to set up solar houses in villages to ensure daytime electricity supply for farmers and said that the Union Power Ministry will move ahead on this suggestion.  Vij said that the state government is continuously working to promote solar energy in Haryana so the state becomes self-reliant in the electricity sector. He said the Energy Department will soon run a pilot project for the installation of solar houses, and if successful, it will be expanded to other regions of the state.

Vij was addressing senior officers from the Central Government and the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan during the Regional Power Ministers’ Conference (Northern Region), chaired by Union Power Minister Sh. Manohar Lal.

Vij explained that the state government is making continuous efforts to promote solar energy so that Haryana becomes self-sufficient in electricity. He directed the Department of New and Renewable Energy to construct solar houses in villages to ensure daytime electricity supply to farmers, enabling them to irrigate their fields and meet their power needs without depending on other sources.

He mentioned that work is already underway on a pilot project and, if successful, it will be expanded further. While currently 10 kW solar panels are installed in homes, for higher capacity needs, dedicated solar houses are more feasible. Farmers require reliable power supply for their fields, regardless of the source—be it solar, Bhakra, or central pool. Therefore, a comprehensive solar project should be implemented to benefit all stakeholders.

Vij also proposed a policy to regulate the installation of poles, substations, and transmission lines over agricultural fields and residential areas to prevent inconvenience to stakeholders. He suggested underground cabling in densely populated or sensitive areas and emphasized the need for a technical feasibility study.