MARGAO
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing Rs 9,400 crore for Green Hydrogen mission in the budget estimates for the coming financial year, Goa has unveiled plans to tap the central funds to set up two pilot green hydrogen energy projects.
Power Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar further said the Goa government will come up with the Green Hydrogen mission policy in the next two months to make the mission a success in the State.
In yet another move aimed at green energy, the power minister said the government will unveil the Solar Policy in the ensuing session of the Goa Legislative Assembly. While declining to dish out details on the solar policy, Dhavalikar said the State has envisaged generation of 150 Megawatt of power through solar energy.
Speaking at the inauguration of Margao street lighting here on Tuesday, the power minister said the Goa government has decided to set up two pilot green Hydrogen units at Zuari and at Vedanta, Amona to generate green energy.
“The Goa government has decided to tap Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Green Hydrogen Mission in State. We will tap the funds sanctioned by the Prime Minister to implement the Mission”, Dhavalikar said adding the Goa government will come out with the Green Hydrogen Mission Policy in the next two months to make the Mission successful.
The power minister further said that the government will also give a boost to solar energy to achieve the target of generating 150 megawatt of energy. In this respect, he said the Solar Policy will be unveiled in the coming Assembly Session.
He, however, virtually ruled out the question of reviving the subsidy scheme for four-wheeler electric vehicles, saying that the government may consider extending the subsidy for the two-wheelers and rickshaws. “There’s a general perception amongst the people why the government should provide subsidy on electric vehicles costing around Rs 15 lakh when the people can afford to buy such vehicles”, he added.
The power minister further said that the electricity department is in the process of toning up the power infrastructure in the State at a whopping cost of Rs 800 crore. “We have decided to go in for underground cabling in the Municipal areas. Work is underway in many areas”, he said, while thanking Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for giving the financial sanctions to take up the works.
