• AMAN ARORA SETS 6-MONTH TARGET FOR 3 LAKH SOLAR STREET LIGHTS
• PUNJAB SWITCHING TO SUN TO POWER ITS FUTURE: ARORA
CHANDIGARH, June 1:
In a major push towards clean energy, Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Minister Mr Aman Arora on Monday announced the installation of 2 MW solar power projects on key state buildings, including the iconic Virasat-e-Khalsa at Sri Anandpur Sahib (500 KW), Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal in Amritsar (400KW) and NIBE Kapurthala (300 KW).
Chairing a review meeting to assess the progress of ongoing green energy projects here at PEDA complex, Mr. Aman Arora said that work orders for installation of 18.6 MW solar roof-top plants on 661 government have also been issued.
The New & Renewable Energy Minister set a mid-August 2026 deadline for the completion of the 2 MW solarisation of key heritage and educational buildings including Virasat-e-Khalsa, Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal and NIBE Kapurthala. He further said that work orders have already been issued for solar power plants with a cumulative capacity of 18.6 MW on 661 government buildings across the state. Solar plants with a total capacity of 1.413 MW have been installed on 34 government buildings so far.
In a separate initiative to boost rural lighting, Mr. Aman Arora directed PEDA to install three lakh solar street lights within the next six months. PEDA has already installed over 1.19 lakh solar street lights in 5,835 villages across Punjab.
“Punjab is switching to the sun to power its future. By solarising heritage sites like Virasat-e-Khalsa and 661 government buildings, we’re cutting power bills, cutting emissions and ensuring reliable electricity for our people. This 18.6 MW drive and 3 lakh street lights will save crores annually while making Punjab cleaner and energy-secure,” stated Mr. Aman Arora.
Meanwhile, New and Renewable Energy Sources Administrative Secretary Dr Basant Garg apprised Mr. Arora that installation of 2,521 solar street lights in 129 villages is currently in progress and is expected to be completed by July-end. On the farm front, he informed that over 5,000 off-grid standalone solar water pumps have also been installed during FY 2025-26.
The review meeting was also attended by PEDA CEO Mr. Abhijit Kaplish and other senior officials of the department.
