Modi gov slammed for 'Cavalier implementation' of PM-KUSUM by Congress

05 Aug 2024 CW Team

The Congress party criticised the Central government over the implementation of the PM-KUSUM initiative, which was launched in 2019 to boost the use of solar energy in agriculture across the country. Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, highlighted the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's recent report revealing significant shortcomings in the scheme's execution.

Ramesh noted that PM-KUSUM, introduced with much fanfare, has fallen short of its targets as it approaches its 2026 completion deadline. He shared several key metrics illustrating the scheme's underperformance:

- Promise: Installation of 10,000 MW decentralised solar power plants on agricultural land.
Reality: Only 256 MW has been installed, just 2.56% of the target.
- Promise: Installation of 14 lakh solar pumps.
Reality: 397,000 solar pumps have been installed, approximately 28% of the target.
- Promise: Solarisation of 3.5 million additional pumps.
Reality: Only 13,562 pumps have been solarised, 0.38% of the target.
Ramesh emphasised that the only metric showing any respectable progress is the installation of solar pumps. However, he pointed out that many of these installations have been concentrated in three states: Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Notably, these states were governed by Congress or coalition partners for much or most of the 2019-2024 period.
Ramesh stressed the importance of transitioning to renewable energy sources for India's economic and environmental goals. He criticised the Modi government for its "cavalier" approach to implementing crucial schemes like PM-KUSUM, urging a more diligent and effective execution to meet the country's renewable energy targets.

(Source: ET)

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..