Kondagaon (Chhattisgarh), Oct 15 (IANS) The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is proving to be a significant initiative towards making domestic electricity consumers energy self-reliant, as the scheme is not only promoting green energy but also empowering citizens economically.

Under the scheme, incentives are being provided for installing rooftop solar plants on the rooftops of homes, which not only reduce electricity bills but also generate income through surplus electricity.

Vikas Soni of Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh, has also benefited from this scheme by installing solar panels on the roof of his house. He said that he learned about the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana from the local electricity office and registered on the portal under the scheme from there. A 3-kilowatt solar plant was installed at his home by an authorised vendor.

Two months after the plant’s installation, he received a subsidy of Rs 78,000. Previously, his monthly electricity bill ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, but now it has completely dropped to zero, reducing his monthly expenses.

He further said that the solar panels generate 15 to 20 units of electricity daily. The excess electricity generated will be supplied to the grid and will become a source of income. He also stated that this efficient use of solar energy has reduced carbon emissions and contributes to environmental protection.

Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Soni appealed to other citizens to install solar plants on their homes.

The Central and state governments provide subsidies to beneficiaries for installing solar panels on their rooftops, based on the plant’s capacity.

For 1 kilowatt, at a cost of approximately Rs 65,000, a subsidy of Rs 30,000 will be given by the Central government and Rs 15,000 by the state government.

For 2 kilowatts, at a cost of Rs 1,30,000, a subsidy of Rs 60,000 will be provided.

For a solar plant of more than 3 kilowatts, at a cost of Rs 1,95,000, a subsidy of Rs 78,000 will be paid by the Central government and Rs 30,000 by the state government.

In this, the beneficiary’s contribution will be 10 per cent, and for the remaining amount, a loan will be provided by banks at an interest rate of 7 per cent.

The Centre approved the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana on February 29, 2024, to increase the share of rooftop solar capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore and is to be implemented until FY 2026–27.

It is being implemented by a National Programme Implementation Agency (NPIA) at the national level and by State Implementation Agencies (SIAs) at the state level.

The Distribution Utility (DISCOMs) or Power/Energy Departments, as the case may be, shall serve as the State Implementation Agencies (SIAs) at the State/UT level.

Under the scheme, the DISCOMs are required to implement several facilitative measures for the promotion of rooftop solar in their respective areas, such as the availability of net meters, timely inspection and commissioning of installations, vendor registration and management, and interdepartmental convergence for solarising government buildings, etc.

The scheme provides for a subsidy of 60 per cent of the solar unit cost for systems up to 2kW capacity, and 40 per cent of the additional system cost for systems between 2 to 3kW capacity. The subsidy is capped at 3kW capacity.

–IANS

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