Take the case of the 50-kilowatt power (KWP) grid interactive solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant at Bajak village, which has been non-functional for the past over six months. The project was set up under the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES), Government of India, and has been under the supervision of Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA).

Sources claim several lakh rupees had been spent to set up the project around nine years back.

As per sources, the power conditioning/control unit of the plant developed a snag around eight months back, which is yet to be rectified. Sources said all 693 photovoltaic modules, each of 74 watts capacity, are fully operational, but due to a snag in the power conditioning/control unit, the plant had been unable to use solar energy to produce power.

PEDA Joint Director M.P. Singh, when contacted, admitted that the plant has been non-functional, but claimed it had been “five to six months and not eight months” since the plant developed a snag. “In between, an effort was made to rectify the problem and the plant became functional for some time,” he added.