Writes To Centre For Only 7.5K MW Jaipur: After becoming the chief minister for the second time, Vasundhara Raje ostensibly announced to produce 25,000 megawatt solar power in next five years. She set the target in February in the interim budget and stuck to it in the modified budget stating an investment of around Rs 1,25,000 crore would be required to install the capacity . But officials in the Union ministry of new and renewable energy said that the state government in a letter to it on August 1, 2014 has projected a capacity addition of only 7,500 MW during 2014-2019. Even though the draft solar policy mentions about the 25,000 MW target, there is no roadmap that has been laid out to achieve that. “We don't question the intention of the government but if it is serious about 25,000 MW target, there should be a detailed roadmap to reach that target. It's really surprising that the government has projected a plan of only 7,500 MW in the next five years while it has publicly announced to add 25,000 megawatt,“ said an industry expert preferring anonymity . The industry has been skeptical about the 25,000 MW plan ever since Raje announced it in the interim budget in February this year. They cited the example of the Central government which aims to produce 20,000 MW across India by 2022. In the last three years, the state has been able to auction a capacity of 75 MW. Moreover, it has provided land for the generation of only 40 MW and the producers of 35 MW are still awaiting land allotments. Officials in the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation are tight-lipped and declined to comment on the strategy the state government is working on to install the capacity. The new solar policy, which was recently circulated for comments from various stakeholders, envisages bigtickets projects above 500 MW capacity but the state is yet to approve the ultra mega solar plant at Sambhar announced by the UPA-II last year. On Sunday, power and coal minister Piyush Goyal said that the Centre is still waiting for the approval of the state government for the 4,000 MW solar plant planned to be developed by BHEL, Power Grid Corporation of India, Hindustan Salt Ltd, Solar Energy Corporation of India, and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam. The state has flagged environmental concerns while holding back approval even though the solar industry is considered to be a green initiative. The plant is expected to get investments of Rs 30,000 crore. Sunil Bansal, general secretary of Rajasthan Solar Association, said that the state should explore the potential of different mechanisms and legislate the new solar policy accordingly to make the generation of 25,000 MW a reality. “Open access system for solar power generation provides huge opportunities to reach closer to the 25,000 Mw target. But the high transmission charges and losses are very high in the state compared to other competing states. If the charges are brought down, this could generate lot of interest among the investors,” added Bansal. Besides the open access mechanism, where a developer can put up a plant at one location and draw power from a different place, there are Central and state schemes which can be harnessed but there has to be clear-cut strategy, which is missing now, added Bansal.