“We view solar energy as an additional source of income for farmers and will encourage solar farming on a massive scale so as to enable the ‘Annadaata’(food provider) to become ‘Urja-daata’ (energy provider).” — Promise in 2019 BJP Manifesto

According to the research below:
1. Question No. 1978 (unstarred) , Lok Sabha 17, Session 14, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, December 12, 2023, KUSUM scheme first set up in 2019 , then expanded in 2023/24 has 3 components: (i) Component ‘A’: Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground/ Stilt Mounted Grid Connected Solar or other Renewable Energy based Power Plants by the farmers on their land; (ii) Component ‘B’: Installation of 14 lakh standalone off-grid solar water pumps; and (iii) Component ‘C’: Solarization of 35 lakh existing grid-connected agriculture pumps and through feeder level solarization (FLS). Component B and Component C (IPS) of PM KUSUM scheme can also be implemented without the state fund share of 30%. Central Financial Assistance of 30% for these components. For Component A, procurement incentive given to DISCOMs: Rs.6.60 lakhs/MW/year. The same report states that 2047 farmers have set up plants under ‘A’. According to an article in the Financial Express, the target for this scheme has been set at 20 lakh farmers. Also, total central financial support committed stands at Rs. 34,422 Cr till 2026. The total funds released in the last 5 years are : INR 151.26 + 156.43 + 406.04 + 801.36 + 411.12 crores. This makes a sum of INR 1926.21 Cr ( 5.6% utilization). The total funds remaining to be utilized in 2 years of the scheme beyond 2024 up to 2026: INR 32,495.79 Cr.

2. Question No. 958 (unstarred) , Lok Sabha 17, Session 15, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, February 8, 2024, the statewise progress made under the scheme is as follows: Component A : Rajasthan is the highest at 121 (out of total 165) MW installed. Component B: Off-grid solar pumps: Haryana tops with 80,004 (out of total 295,823 installed). Component C: Grid-connected pumps: Kerala has the highest at 2824 (out of total 7384 installed).

It can therefore be concluded that:
The Government’s objectively verifiable performance is 0.1% in terms of beneficiary/farmer reach. In terms of infrastructure created under the KUSUM scheme, the performance ranges from 0.21% (grid-connected solar pumps) to 21.1% (decentralized/grid-connected solar power generation). Funds utilized stand at 5.6%. The performance on this scheme is rated very low.