Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission Launched

The Union Cabinet approved the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission that aims to add 20,000 MW of power in India by 2022. “The Cabinet has sanctioned Rs.4,337 crore for the initial activities in this regard, The mission — one of the eight key national missions which comprise India’s national action plan on climate change — has the twin objective of contributing to India’s long term energy security as well as its ecological security.

“This is a historic and transformational initiative of the UPA Government and I am proud to have the privilege of being assigned the task of overseeing its implementation,’’ the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr Farooq Abdullah, said in a s tatement in Parliament.

He said people are living in a world of rapidly depleting fossil fuel resources and access to conventional energy resources such as oil, gas and coal is becoming increasingly constrained.

“The rapid development and deployment of renewable energy is imperative in this context and in view of high solar radiation over the country, solar energy provides a long-term sustainable solution,’’ he said. — PTI