Govt imposes one-year ban on 71 solar panel companies

SolarEnergy
The government has written to the companies saying they had failed to update details of the projects that they had executed.

KOLKATA: The government has barred 71 firms from rooftop solar projects for a year by removing them from the panel that makes them eligible to bid. These include Amra Raja Electronics Ltd, Cleantech Synergy, Hollandia Power Solutions, IL&FS Energy Development Co and Jindal Green Technologies.

The government has written to the companies saying they had failed to update details of the projects that they had executed.

“Empanelled companies offer solar panels, which are technically complaint with standard requirements. All tenders which Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) floats require bidders to be empanelled,” said a senior executive from SECI.

Sunil Jain, chief executive officer at Hero Future Energies, said the government probably wants to prune the number of empanelled firms to 100 serious companies from 400. “Majority of the ones that were struck out did not execute any projects in the last one-two years, which indicated they were not too serious about solar roof-top business,” he said.

Surendar Kumar, director at Jindal Green Technologies, said plunging tariffs did not make it worthwhile to be in the panel.

“Hence, we decided on not being part of the list. Additionally, we also gathered that getting subsidies involved uncertainty and delays.” IL&FS Energy Development Company declined to comment on the issue, but an executive, who did not want to be named, said no projects were being executed in the recent past, which may have led to the situation.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com