Punjab Mandi Board Launches ₹24.5-Crore Solar Project for Mandis in Four Districts, Aims to Save ₹3.5 Crore Annually
Over 50,000 Saplings to be Planted Across Punjab’s Mandis, Says Harchand Singh Barsat
Chandigarh/SAS Nagar, July 16
In a significant step toward adopting renewable energy, the Punjab Mandi Board has announced plans to install solar power plants in grain markets across Jalandhar, Patiala, Ferozepur, and Ludhiana at a cost of ₹24.5 crore. This eco-friendly initiative is projected to save approximately ₹3.5 crore annually in electricity costs, according to Harchand Singh Barsat, Chairman of the Punjab Mandi Board.
Barsat, accompanied by senior officials of the Punjab Mandi Board, reviewed ongoing development works at grain markets, fruit and vegetable markets, Market Committees, and the e-NAM platform.
The Chairman further revealed that the Punjab Mandi Board will plant over 50,000 saplings in mandis across the state, reinforcing the Board’s commitment to increasing green cover and promoting environmental sustainability in and around Punjab’s mandis.
Barsat directed officials to expedite the renovation of the Guest House at Talwandi Sabo to align its operations with those of Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh. He also instructed officials to promptly allocate vacant houses in the Board’s residential colonies.
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As part of the modernization of vegetable mandis, Barsat highlighted the successful installation of boom barriers at the Sanaur (Patiala) vegetable mandi, which resulted in increased market fees. Encouraged by this success, the Board has decided to replicate this initiative in other mandis across the state.
The Chairman urged officials to immediately clear encroachments from mandi premises and emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness in vegetable mandis. He directed officials to ensure daily waste disposal and explore opportunities to generate revenue from bio-waste.
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Highlighting the Board’s achievements, Barsat noted that the Punjab Mandi Board has generated ₹373 crore in revenue through e-auctions of 842 plots this year. Additionally, an innovative initiative to open cover sheds in mandis for public use during the off-season has been met with overwhelming response, generating ₹1 crore in revenue. This reflects the Board’s efforts to optimize the use of existing infrastructure in mandis.
