TURA: The Director of Meghalaya New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (MNREDA) has written to the Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in New Delhi on the promotion of renewable energy in the state and upgrade infrastructure and employee skills.
In his three-page memorandum to the ministry, the official put forward various initiatives which need to be taken for the promotion of renewable energy. Among others, the official urged that the earlier scheme of the MNRE, which provides for the engagement of a consultant, is revived and its remuneration enhanced from the previous amount of Rs 50,000. There should be training for officers and staff in phases to keep them abreast of latest technologies, MNREDA suggested in the memorandum.
Informing that the Mahatma Gandhi Regional Training Institute, which was established in 1991, could not be made functional due to non-availability of funds and proper guidance, the director said the MNREDA office is currently functioning from the same building and urged that the same is revived with the provision of financial and technical assistance from MNRE.
Other demands made in the memorandum included enhancement in funding for installation of solar water plants, sanctioning of schemes for off-grid solar projects to enable the initiation of preliminary work in advance, inclusion of Meghalaya in the scheme for distribution of solar lanterns in remote areas on 90:10 funding basis and the conduct of a study for installation of a 500 KW bamboo pellet gasification plant.