Punjab on Wednesday took a giant leap towards realising its dream as the solar State of the country with the inauguration of four mega watt solar power plant at Boha. A Rs33.75 crore solar power plant of Gujarat’s renowned company — M/s Madhav Solar Private Limited, Vadodra — would generate six million units annually to meet the State Government’s target of 1,250 MW of solar power within three years. The facility, inaugurated by State’s Non-Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, is the first towards make Punjab a green and clean energy sufficient State. “It is a matter of pride the state that now companies successfully running their solar power projects in Gujarat are finding Punjab as a land of opportunities for their further expansion,” said Majithia while addressing a gathering. He disclosed that the Punjab government has undertaken a comprehensive exercise to identify all available panchayati and non-cultivable lands for setting up of solar power plants having joint generation capacity of 1000 MW power throughout the state as the Union Ministry of Union Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy has in principle agreed for setting up of an Ultra Mega Solar Power Park. Besides, a detailed project report for setting up of 100 MW solar power plants on all major canals flowing through the state has been submitted to the Union Government. “World’s single largest rooftop plant of 7.5 MW capacity has been set up at Beas in Amritsar district constructed at a cost of Rs 150 to Rs 200 crore. In a major initiative, rooftop solar PV plants are being set up in 120 police stations throughout the state. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would be inaugurating the project soon,” he said. He said that the government has launched net metering policy and set a target of generation of 100 MW solar powers during the current financial year to meet the requirements of peak load demand.