The State government on Wednesday approved the distribution of 7,000 solar farm pumps under a central scheme, at a cost of ₹239.92 crore, which will enable farmers to irrigate the farm during the day.
The Cabinet also agreed to draw up a State scheme to install over one lakh solar farm pumps, which may cost the government around ₹3 lakh per pump.
Of the 7,000 solar farm pumps, 13.5% will be reserved for farmers from the scheduled castes and 9% for those from scheduled tribes.
The Centre will bear ₹50.19 crore of the total cost, while the State and beneficiaries will pay ₹11.99 crore and ₹10.54 crore respectively. The rest of the ₹239.92 crore will be raised from funds available with the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) and from additional power sales tax.
“Those who do not have a perennial water source, have not benefited from electrification, do not have no objection certificates from the Forest Department for electrification, and those from remote areas will be given preference under this scheme,” Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.
The government expects to bring 14,000 hectares of land under irrigation and save ₹123.5 crore with the scheme. It will also save around ₹63 crore on subsidies and ₹168.25 crore on cross-subsidies.
Revamp of Sassoon Dock
The Cabinet on Wednesday also extended a revised administrative approval of ₹96.92 crore for the revamp of Sassoon Dock.
The Maharashtra Fisheries Development Corporation is redeveloping the old and new Sassoon Dock. In 2014, the project received an administrative approval for ₹52.17 crore.
However, as the Mumbai Port Trust’s revised rates of 2017, the total expenditure is now pegged at ₹64.34 crore. In addition, new works worth ₹32.57 crore have also been proposed.
The redevelopment work includes increasing the strength of fishing boats and providing state-of-the-art facilities to fisherfolk.