VARANASI: Pramila Devi of Varanasi, a beneficiary of the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), talked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing during the grand finale marking the culmination of ‘Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya – Power @2047’ on Saturday.
She was greeted with ‘Har Har Mahadev’ by the PM, who as a member of Parliament from Varanasi asked her to pay respect to Baba Vishwanath on his behalf. The PM also expressed happiness that overhead wires are gradually being phased out in his parliamentary constituency leading to better safety and aesthetic outcomes.
During the programme, the PM interacted with the beneficiaries of various schemes and launched the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme. He also dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various green energy projects of NTPC. He launched the National Solar Rooftop Portal.
Addressing the gathering, the PM said energy and power sectors have a huge role to play in accelerating India’s progress in the next 25 years. The strength of the energy sector is also important for Ease of Doing Business and is equally important for Ease of Living. These projects will strengthen India’s renewable energy goals, commitment and aspirations of its green mobility, he said.
The PM announced that work on two big green hydrogen projects in Ladakh and Gujarat is starting on Saturday. The plant being set up in Ladakh will produce green hydrogen for vehicles in the country. This will be the first project in the country which will make commercial use of green hydrogen-based transport possible. Remembering the poor state of power scenario before 2014, the PM reminded that eight years ago, the government took the initiative to transform every part of the country’s power sector.
He informed that in the last eight years, about 1.7 lakh MW of electricity generation capacity has been added in the country. “Furthermore, by giving 3 crore connections under the Saubhagya Scheme, we are also nearing the saturation goal,” he added.
“Saving electricity means enriching the future. PM Kusum Yojana is a great example of this. We are providing solar pump facility to farmers, helping to install solar panels on the side of the fields,” he said.
He said that the UJALA scheme has also played a big role in reducing electricity consumption and bills in the country. Every year Rs 50,ooo crores are saved from the electricity bills of poor and middle-class households.
