Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while presiding over a meeting of the Energy Department here on Tuesday, directed officials to make 100 MW Uhl–III hydro power project functional by May, 2024. He also directed the officials to replace the damaged penstock of the power project within a period of eight months. The chief minister said that commissioning of the project has already been delayed and the officers should have to work tirelessly to complete the project within stipulated time. He said that the state government would extend full cooperation for completing this project and he would personally visit the project site on 15 June this year to review the progress. Sukhu said that, as per budget announcement, the state government would provide 40 percent financial assistance to prospective entrepreneurs from the state for setting up solar power projects of 100 KW to 2 MW capacity. He further said that the state government would provide hand holding in financing their projects from the banks. The chief minister also directed the officers to bring out the blueprint of the scheme so that interested youth could take benefit of the scheme. He also reviewed the progress of setting up six green corridors in the state and directed to complete the tender process for all green corridors by October this year. He said that charging stations infrastructure would be set up for approximately 1600 kilometers length of these corridors which would also include the cities in the ambit of these corridors. The state government has set the target of making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State by March, 2026, he reiterated. Sukhu said that the state government was providing a 50 percent subsidy for the purchase of e-buses, e-trucks, e-taxies and e-goods carriers, and therefore, the government would provide adequate infrastructure for charging e-vehicles. Himurja would be strengthened and it would be empowered to develop infrastructure for setting up charging stations in these six corridors, said the Chief Minister. While presiding over the meeting of HPPCL, the Chief Minister directed the officers to complete the 200 MW solar projects by December, 2023. He was apprised in the meeting that in the first phase DPRs of solar projects having capacity of 45 MW have been finalized. The chief minister also directed the officers to identify the land for establishing solar power projects in Lahaul-Spiti district.

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