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Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Chief minister’s chief advisor Kaustubh Dhavse announced on Thursday that the Jalna dry port will begin operations within six months. He also said the government will formally announce the Jayakwadi floating solar project after the local body elections. Dhavse shared these updates during a press briefing held after the 6th CEO Conclave of the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA).
OBC welfare minister Atul Save was present at the event. Dhavse said Maharashtra is developing solar power projects worth Rs 93,000 crore, expected to generate 40 gigawatts of electricity. The state plans to expand this capacity to 84 gigawatts by 2030. He explained that the government is focusing on renewable energy to bring down electricity costs for industries and reduce long-term dependence on conventional power. He recalled that a 2017 study had found industrial power tariffs in Maharashtra to be higher than in other states, mainly because subsidies given to agricultural pump sets increased the overall cost. The state continues to spend around Rs 13,500 crore every year on this subsidy. To address this, the government is separating agricultural feeders. Dhavse said the work will be completed next year, and once done, industries will see a significant drop in power bills. On the Jayakwadi floating solar project, Dhavse said the state has cleared previous hurdles and is ready to proceed, but the official announcement will be made only after the elections. He added that several global companies showed strong interest in Maharashtra during the Davos summit earlier this year, with investment proposals worth nearly Rs 30 lakh crore. He said the government is now focused on strengthening urban infrastructure, including ongoing work on Ahilyanagar Road. This shift, he noted, will boost India’s renewable energy sector and support Maharashtra’s clean-energy goals.
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Agriculture power bills to drop sharply
Dhavse said that once solar capacity increases, agriculture consumers will pay almost nothing for electricity. He explained that in the future, industrial, commercial and residential sectors will have separate solar-based billing, while agriculture charges will become negligible.