Source: business-standard | Image Courtesy: gtsolarsolutions

We are all aware of pollution, and the inevitable depletion of our limited sources of energy. Realising this, the Chhattisgarh State Government, in a meeting headed by the Chief Minister, Raman Singh, has taken the decision to implement the use of solar power.

The decision is to be followed in effect from the 1 st of January 2016. Solar panels will be mandatorily installed in all new government and semi-government buildings. In accordance with the plan, plants of a capacity of about 200 KW will be installed in the buildings. This extrapolates to a total of 200 MW of solar capacity plants across the state, making the cumulative total 5% more than the states power demand.

The use of solar energy, which converts energy received from the sun into electricity, will have several benefits: – the cost of acquisition of power will be low at the state level, and therefore, at the level of the ordinary consumer – once the panels have been set up, a low cost, low maintenance electricity producing system is made functional – it is a safe, sustainable, constant source of energy – it is renewable, practically inexhaustible, and allows the currently used sources to get replenished – no emissions are produced, there are no toxic by-products, thus solar energy causes no pollution.

In addition, the Cabinet approved the Short-term Agricultural Loan Relief Scheme, under which drought-hit farmers are given the choice of converting the loan for the kharif season 2015 into a mid term loan or a partial interest waiver. Also, the Cabinet has reached the decision to waive the Land Revenue and the Irrigation Tax in the affected areas.