(ET)
Although Gujarat has agreed to provide land to winners of auctions conducted by central agencies, developers feel it is too little too late.Considered one of the best wind producing states, Gujarat had been reluctant to lease land to winners of auctions conducted by central agencies such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India, the nodal agency of the renewable energy ministry through which it conducts wind and solar auctions. Out of the 7,000MW of wind projects auctioned by SECI last year, government land was expected to be provided by the Gujarat government for 3,500MW.
But because of fast approaching commissioning deadlines, winners of those auctions ended up buying expensive private land in the state and elsewhere. Earlier this week, Gujarat’s revenue department finally said it would allot land for SECI projects. “After a video conference with MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy), Government decided and instructed to concern authority for wind farm allotment for SECI bid winners,” said the letter written by the section officer of the state’s revenue department dated November 27.
