Gujarat was first state to adopt policy for solar power: Modi

New Delhi, Oct 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated three projects in Gujarat, including the Kisan Sarvodaya Scheme, in which farmers will get electricity during the day for irrigation purposes and said that Gujarat was the first state to adopt the policy for solar power generation.

Besides the Kisan Suryoday Scheme, PM Modi also inaugurated a Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre and a Mobile App for telecardiology at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and the ropeway at Girnar via video conferencing.

Modi was joined by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his deputy Nitin Patel from Gandhinagar via video conferencing.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi said, "After Sujlam Suflam and Sauni scheme, this Suryodaya scheme will benefit farmers. It will give maximum benefit to farmers."

He said, the projects in the power sector will work wonders for farmers of Gujarat in the coming years.

He also highlighted that Gujarat was the first state in the country which brought policies for solar power usage. "When the Patan solar power plant was set up in Gujarat, no one had imagined that India will show the world the mantra of one sun-one world-one grid," he said.

"Today India is among of the top countries in the production of solar power generation. It has reached the 5th spot and is moving forward at a rapid pace," Modi said.

Highlighting the benefits of the Kisan Suryodaya Scheme, the Prime MInister said, "Farmers will get power from morning till 9 p.m., and they will get three phase electricity."

He also said that the Gujarat government will lay 3,500 km new circuit lines in next few years in the state. "And I have been informed that in 1,000 villages, most of which are in tribal areas, will be benefitted in the coming days," Modi said.

According to the state government, the Vijay Rupani-government has allocated a budget of Rs 3,500 crore for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.

More than 234 '66-Kilowatt' transmission lines, with a total length of 3,490 circuit kilometers (CKM), will be established under the project, in addition to 220 KV substations.

Dahod, Patan, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Kheda, Tapi, Valsad, Anand and Gir-Somnath have been included under the scheme for 2020-21. The remaining districts will be covered in a phase-wise manner by 2022-23.

Modi also said that in the country today, work is also being done to make Annadata an energy donor. "Under Kusum Yojana, every institution like farmers, FPOs, co-operatives, panchayats are being supported to set up solar plants on barren land," he said.

According to the state government, with the inauguration of the Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre, the institute will now become India's biggest hospital for cardiology. It will also become one of the select few hospitals in the world with a world-class medical infrastructure and medical facilities.

The UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology (UNMICRC) is undergoing expansion at the cost of Rs 470 crore.

The number of beds will increase from 450 to 1,251 after the completion of the expansion project. The institute will also become the biggest single super speciality cardiac teaching institute in the country and one of the biggest single super speciality cardiac hospitals in the world.

The UNMICRC is a grant-in-aid autonomous institute promoted by the Government of Gujarat as a public trust.

Modi said that more than 21 lakh people of Gujarat have received free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. "More than 500 medical centres offering medicines have opened in Gujarat. Out of this, savings of about Rs 100 crore have also been made to the common patients of Gujarat," the Prime Minister said.

The inauguration of the Girnar ropeway has added to Gujarat's profile on the global tourism map.

Modi also said that recently, the Shivrajpur beach has gained international recognition. It has received a blue flag certification.

"On developing such locations, more and more tourists will be attracted and give a rise in the number of employment opportunities as well," he said.

"Before the Covid-19 pandemic started, over 45 lakh had already visited the Statue of Unity. And now it has reopened, and the number of tourists are increasing rapidly," he said.

The recently completed ropeway on Mount Girnar near Junagadh city of Saurashtra region covers a distance of 2.13 kilometres from the foot to the peak where the temple of Maa Amba is situated.

He said that if the Girnar ropeway had not been entangled in legal complications, people would have started getting its benefits much earlier.

"We have to think about how much problems people face when building systems that provide so much convenience to people will remain stuck for so long," he said.

According to the Gujarat government, the ropeway can ferry 800 passengers per hour. The project was originally conceived over two decades ago and was recently completed at a cost of Rs 130 crore.

Source: IANS