Explanation:

Public sector banks have recently accepted the State government’s request to grant loans without collateral security to farmers for installing solar plants at their infertile or semi-barren land.

The work was earlier affected as the farmers faced difficulty in getting bank loans.

With this step, Solar power generation is set to make rapid strides in Rajasthan.

The Centre’s PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) Scheme envisages income generation for farmers from their infertile land with the establishment of solar power plants.

While the farmers can sell the power generated from the solar plants to the power distribution companies, the solar pumps can also be installed for irrigation of agricultural land.

Rajasthan became the first State to complete the selection of farmers for installation of solar plants on their land in July 2021.

The capacity therein has exceeded the targets set by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The KUSUM scheme would ensure energy security for farmers, as they could generate revenue from their agriculturally unproductive or barren land.

It would also help increase the production of green energy and generate employment in the rural areas and would later provide for solarisation of tubewells and lift irrigation projects of the government sector.