Decks cleared for wind power plants in Gujarat

The state government has finally decided to help centrally auctioned wind power projects by allotting land as per norms. The state's revenue department has directed district collectors to help such projects as the state was earlier helping developers to acquire land only for projects bid by the state's own distribution company, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL). The order stated that companies who have wind bids invited either by GUVNL or SECI or other agencies of the government of India, supported by a letter to that effect from GEDA, should be allotted land. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is the nodal agency under the ministry of new and renewable energy for conducting wind and solar auctions. The inclusion of SECI is significant because for the last few months Gujarat had been going slow on leasing land to projects auctioned by SECI, while at the same time leasing it to projects sanctioned by GUVNL.