Gujarat halts solar pump tender after taking advance from farmers

Puts business of 25 SMEs & Rs 200-cr project in jeopardy

The Gujarat government has halted its solar pump programme after making headway in both procurement and distribution, it is learnt.

In January, the state government came out with a tender for 5,000 solar-powered agriculture pumps worth Rs 200 crore. Around 25 small & medium enterprises (SMEs) were awarded the contracts. 10% of the cost of each pump was also collected from 7,500 farmers as guarantee money. The state government even wrote multiple letters to contractors to expedite the work.

Now six months later, in its communication with contractors and discoms, the state government has confessed its inability to fund the