Guwahati

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the state has set a target of generating 3,500 MW solar power by 2030.

Inaugurating a 70 MW solar power plant at Khudigaon in Dhubri district's Bilasipara area, Sarma said the state government would implement development projects on government land cleared of encroachments, which would help generate employment and boost the local economy.

"Today, our solar capacity has reached 680 MW and by April we will touch 750 MW, steadily advancing towards a sustainable, clean energy future," Sarma said in a post on X after inaugurating the solar park.

"Assam’s solar energy target is 3,500 MW by 2030!" he added.

The new project has been jointly developed by SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Navranta CPSE SJVN Ltd, and Assam Power Development Corporation Ltd (APDCL).

The chief minister’s office, in a post on social media, said the project has been built at a cost of over Rs 350 crore and will generate 141 million units of electricity annually, while reducing nearly 1.15 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions.

Speaking to reporters after the inauguration, Sarma said the project will boost the state’s journey towards achieving self-sufficiency in power generation.

Stressing the state government’s focus on solar power, he said, "At one point of time, we had no solar power projects. Today, we are generating 680 MW of solar power. Another 50 MW project being implemented by SJVN at Borsolla in Sonitpur district will be completed by April, and we will reach 730 MW then."

The chief minister further said the government will be implementing development projects on land cleared of encroachments.

"Our aim is to clear government land of encroachments and implement projects in those lands. This will generate employment and uplift the local economy," he said.

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He added that eviction drives would be undertaken whenever projects are planned, as vacant cleared land could otherwise be encroached upon again.

"If we leave the evicted land without any activity, there is a chance that encroachment will happen again. So, we will clear government land as and when projects come," Sarma said.