The state-run Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) had inked 104 agreements for setting up renewable energy projects during the Global Investors Meet 2012 but not a single project has take shape.
The CREDA executed 104 Memoranda of Understanding with various developers in 2012 for installation of solar photo voltaic power plants (SPVPP) of 5330 Megawatts (MW). Since 2001, CREDA had also sanctioned 50 small hydro power (SHP) projects for 612 Mw on the sites identified by private developers.
“However, none of the SPVPP/SHP was installed as of November 2014,” Bijay Kumar Mohanty, Accountant General (Audit) for Chhattisgarh, said. The observation was made in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on general, social and economic (non-PSUs) sectors for the year ended March 31, 2014. The monitoring over functionality of solar power plants and solar pumps in the villages were inadequate.
The CREDA officials cited non-availability and allotment of land by the state government for the non execution of the projects.
The CAG report pointed out that the Chhattisgarh government had set a policy target of solar power generation capacity between 500 Mw and 1000 Mw by March 2017. Against this target, present installed capacity of solar power projects (grid connected) in the state was only 9.6 Mw and the only three projects having capacity of 4.5 Mw was commissioned during the policy period (2012-17).
Mohanty said CREDA had neither prepared any action plan for achievement of the policy targets nor were any solar manufacturing facilities established in the state. He said this indicated lack of initiative on the part of the government to walk the talk despite a declared policy and a large number of MoUs.
“On being pointed out, government stated that the investors are not coming forward to set up renewable energy projects as they have alternative sites and better tariff all over India,” Mohanty said, adding that the reply corroborates the fact that the Chhattisgarh government failed to take necessary steps to achieve the objectives of the solar policy.
