Rs 24.42 crore solar project in mandis of four districts to save ₹8.33 crore annually in electricity expenditure
Punjab E News: In a significant initiative to modernize Punjab’s mandis (grain markets) and promote renewable energy, the Punjab Mandi Board has planned to install solar power plants in various mandis of four districts, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, and Ludhiana, in the first phase. Work on this project has already commenced, with an estimated cost of ₹24.42 crore. This initiative is expected to save approximately ₹8.33 crore annually in electricity expenses. The announcement was made by Punjab Mandi Board Chairman S. Harchand Singh Barsat, who stated that the project will prove to be a milestone in introducing state-of-the-art technology in Punjab’s mandis.
Barsat said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab’s mandis are being modernized and made more convenient so that farmers, commission agents and labourers do not face any difficulties. He informed that the project was recently inaugurated at Dana Mandi, Patiala, where a 74-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant is being installed. In district Patiala, solar power plants with a total capacity of 656 kilowatts will be installed across 10 different mandis at an estimated cost of ₹6.49 crore.
Similarly, in district Ludhiana, solar power plants with a total capacity of 757 kilowatts will be installed in 11 different mandis at a cost of about ₹7.12 crore. In district Ferozepur, eight mandis will get solar plants with a combined capacity of 647 kilowatts, costing approximately ₹5.10 crore. In district Jalandhar, solar power plants with a total capacity of 794 kilowatts will be installed across 11 mandis at a cost of around ₹5.71 crore.
He added that a total of 40 mandis across Patiala, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, and Ludhiana districts will be covered under this solar power initiative, involving an overall expenditure of ₹24.42 crore. This will result in annual savings of approximately ₹8.33 crore on electricity costs for the Punjab Mandi Board, with the investment expected to pay for itself within three years. Barsat further said that the installation of solar power plants will not only reduce electricity expenses in mandis but will also significantly cut government expenditure in the long run. This effort, he emphasized, is not only a step toward economic savings but also a major contribution to environmental protection.
