Punjab State Energy Action Plan launched for energy efficiency
Darpan News Desk IANS, 10 May, 2023 02:02 PM
Chandigarh, May 10 (IANS) The Punjab New and Renewable Energy Sources Department on Wednesday launched Punjab State Energy Action Plan to ensure promotion of energy efficiency in buildings, industries, municipalities, agriculture, transport and other sectors.
The action plan is aimed at assisting government departments and agencies to adopt the most sustainable, long-term and inter-sectoral renewable and clean energy plans.
Additional Chief Secretary A. Venu Prasad, Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) Chairman H.S. Hanspal and head of Indo-German Energy Programme GIZ, Winfried Damm, also launched decision support tool and Amritsar smart city portal and renewable purchase obligations (RPO) portal for the state.
Amritsar will be developed as solar city, Prasad said while adding the energy action plan will help achieving goals towards net zero in each sector.
PEDA signed a pact with GIZ's IGEN Access to Energy programme funded by the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany for seeking technical assistance with the help of experienced team of consultants and representatives of over 20 departments and organisations.
Emphasising on the need of fast-tracking implementation of the action plan and review the progress quarterly, Prasad asked all departments to come forward to equip their office buildings with solar panels to decarbonise the power sector, which will help in reducing power consumption charges to 25 to 30 per cent.
Hanspal said PEDA is the state designated agency of government for implementation of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, and the vision of the PEDA to achieve net-zero goals by 2070.
Appreciating the efforts of PEDA for taking the lead to prepare this unique document, Indo-German Energy Programme GIZ head Damm explained the importance of long-term energy planning to meet India's ambition on achieving the net-zero goal.
He emphasised on the role of all government departments and citizens of the state in realising the targets set at international stage.
He also shared examples from different European nations and their sectoral initiatives to decarbonise their economy, mostly by 2050, Germany by 2045.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Gursevwak Singh, the elder brother of Gurwinder Singh, who was one of the four farmers who died, said: "The case should be transferred to Delhi. We all know that the proceedings are being influenced here. No action was taken against the union minister despite his video threatening farmers having gone viral.
The Delhi Police on Thursday said that they have arrested eight persons in a case of vandalism outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. A senior police official confirmed that several teams were conducting raids to nab more people invovled in the case.
Appreciating this initiative of Punjab Mandi Board, Mann said it would benefit to over nine lakh registered farmers, thereby furnishing J-Forms digitally to them for their agriculture produce sold in the markets on their WhatsApp account in real time i.e. immediately on sale being confirmed on the system by the 'arhtiyas' and buyers.
Six gold bars weighing 699.5 grams and valued at Rs 37.30 lakh were detected and seized from a male passenger who arrived by Air India flight AI-952 from Dubai, Customs officials said. He had concealed the gold in his check-in baggage. Further investigation was on.
An order issued by the competent authority on Wednesday said that the services of five employees. In the past also, the J&K government has terminated services of its employees for the same reason.
Rajendra Shetty a.k.a Bannanje Raja is involved in 44 serious criminal offences including murder, extortion and kidnapping. Authorities had issued an Interpol red corner notice against Bannanje Raja, and he was nabbed in Casablanca in Morocco. Later, he was extradited to Karnataka from there.
