Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a high-level meeting on Friday to assess the progress of solar rooftop installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
The Chief Secretary set an ambitious target of 30,000 solar rooftop installations by March 2025, emphasizing the need for extensive outreach and awareness campaigns across the Union Territory (UT).
Chief Secretary Emphasized Timely Installations
Dulloo stressed the importance of robust Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to ensure widespread awareness about the solar rooftop scheme. He directed officials to create awareness materials in local languages for better comprehension and suggested using bulk SMS to reach targeted consumers.
He called on officials to take these campaigns to the grassroots level, especially in panchayats. Local-level programs, distribution of IEC materials, and the demonstration of educational videos and success stories were among the strategies recommended.
Dulloo also instructed the concerned distribution companies (discoms) to appoint nodal officers to oversee these activities and ensure timely feedback to senior officials.
The Chief Secretary highlighted the reform-oriented nature of the scheme, which directly benefits the public. He urged all departments to make concerted efforts to increase the number of applicants and ensure that installations are completed on time.
To this end, he set a target for the discus to install 30,000 solar rooftops across the UT’s districts by the set deadline.
Support for Consumers
During the meeting, Principal Secretary of the Power Development Department, H. Rajesh Prasad, provided valuable insights into the financial aspects of the scheme. He shared that financial institutions and banks were offering loans at a 7% interest rate to ease the financial burden on consumers.
Moreover, central financial assistance is directly transferred to applicants’ bank accounts after the installation of solar rooftops, with an additional subsidy from the state government.
Progress And Future Prospects
As of now, the scheme has received 11,000 applications, with 617 solar rooftop installations already completed. The government expects significant savings for consumers, and the overall impact of the scheme is poised to reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses while improving the efficiency of power supply.
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