Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to the Centre reiterating his demand for viability gap funding (VGF) for biomass power projects and biomass solar hybrid power projects to check stubble burning in the state.
In a letter to Union Minister of State for Power, New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh, the chief minister has sought his personal attention towards framing of scheme/ guidelines for promoting biomass power projects by providing one-time viability gap funding in a phased manner, and for a pilot biomass solar hybrid power project, as suggested by the state government on several occasions.
This, stressed Amarinder, would go a long way in complying with the directions of the Supreme Court of India for tackling the problem of stubble burning in Punjab.
He asked the ministry to provide Punjab Rs 5 crore per MW of biomass power projects and Rs 3.5 crore per MW for biomass solar hybrid power projects to help the state address the problem of pollution arising from stubble burning, an official release said here.