KUSUM Scheme - The Centre Government
has launched "Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) scheme" for promoting solar farming i.e. decentralised solar power production of up to 28,250 MW to help farmers.
The Union Budget 2018-19 has allocated Rs. 48,000 crores for the scheme for the ten-year period.
The scheme will start with building 10,000 MW solar plants on barren lands and providing 1.75 million off-grid agricultural solar pumps. It will provide extra income to farmers, by giving them an option to sell additional power to grid through solar power projects set up on their barren lands.
Components of Scheme:
Installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas.
Installation of standalone off-grid solar water pumps to fulfil irrigation needs of farmers not connected to grid.
Solarisation of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps to make farmers independent of grid supply and also
enable them to sell surplus solar power generated to DISCOM and get extra income; and Solarisation of tube-wells and lift irrigation projects of
Government sector.
