JAIPUR: Rajasthan may have led the solar pump movement in the country, but none of the state’s controller manufacturers and system integrators can participate in the Rs 5,000-crore tender floated by the Centre for installation of 1.75 lakh pumps under the Kusum scheme.
Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), which issued tenders on August 22 on behalf of the ministry of new and renewable energy, has made MSMEs eligible by adding criteria of Rs 145 crore turnover which will benefit a few big players in the country, said members of Rajasthan MSME Solar Association (RMSA) here on Wednesday.
“MSME sector has been at the forefront of implementing the solar pump schemes and by suddenly creating an eligibility criteria of Rs 145-crore turnover, they have tried to favour the few big players in the country. Even though the Centre contributes 25% of money for a pump as subsidy, the rest will come from the state government and the farmers. We want the state government to take up the issue with MNRE and undertake the tendering process for the 25000 pumps earmarked for Rajasthan,” said Nimesh Seth, spokesperson of RMSA.
Seth said the MSMEs were eligible for participation when the scheme was announced on July 21 but suddenly, just two days before of the tender, they were made ineligible.
“System integrators are the most important element in the solar pumping scheme. That is why MNRE has listed 100s of them in its 2017 list. In the Kusum tender, they have been made ineligible to promote the interest of big corporates,” added Seth.
Some states like Bihar and Telangana have already said they would not participate in the scheme. Members of RMSA said the move by those states was justifiable and Rajasthan should also take a similar step if it was not allowed to conduct tendering for its share of 25,000 pumps.
Under the PM Krishak Urja Suraksha Evam Uthan Mahaabhiyan (Kusum), the Centre provides 25% subsidy while the state’s component goes up to 45% with the remaing amount coming for the farmers for pumps that cost Rs 3.30 lakh.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
