Jammu & Kashmir Chief Secretary Aims for 30,000 Solar Installations by March Under PM Surya Ghar Yojana

Jammu, Jan 4 (NationPress) The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Atal Dulloo, held a meeting on Friday with officials to review the advancements in solar rooftop installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in the Union Territory (UT). He set a target of 30,000 installations by March 2025, as stated in an official announcement.

Dulloo stressed the importance of executing thorough Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns to enhance awareness regarding the scheme.

He urged for the creation of awareness materials in local languages to ensure better understanding, alongside sending bulk SMS notifications to the intended consumers, as indicated in the statement.

Dulloo instructed officials to engage each panchayat with comprehensive programs that distribute IEC materials in local languages, in addition to showcasing educational videos and success stories. He also requested that the discoms appoint nodal officers among their engineers to oversee these tasks and provide relevant feedback to their superiors.

The Chief Secretary noted that such initiatives are reform-oriented and yield direct benefits for the populace.

He called for dedicated efforts to increase the number of applicants and ensure timely installations for each.

Additionally, he set a goal for the discoms to facilitate the installation of approximately 30,000 solar rooftops across the districts of the UT, as per the official statement.

Dulloo advocated for an intensified outreach campaign until the desired results are accomplished.

The Principal Secretary of the Power Development Department, H. Rajesh Prasad, mentioned during the meeting that financial institutions and banks are providing loans at a seven percent interest rate to facilitate installations for consumers.

Moreover, central financial assistance is directly credited to applicants' bank accounts only after the vendors have installed the solar rooftops for 15 days.

He shared that the savings from this scheme, even when financed through bank loans, are attractive.

Additionally, a subsidy of Rs 33,000/kw is provided by the Union government, with an extra Rs 3000/kw subsidy from the state government, applicable up to an installation capacity of 3 kw for domestic consumers.

It was further reported that around 11,000 applications had been submitted to the respective discoms in the Jammu and Kashmir divisions, with 617 installations completed so far.

It was noted that savings are expected to increase with future revisions in power tariffs.

This scheme is anticipated to significantly enhance the progress in reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, improving efficiency in power supply to consumers.

Later, the Chief Secretary reviewed the solarization of government buildings through the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA).

He instructed the department to enhance the implementation of this scheme to achieve the necessary wattage before its deadline, as stated in the announcement.

Jammu and Kashmir Commissioner Secretary for Science and Technology, Saurabh Bhagat, reported during the meeting that 4,108 buildings have been covered, achieving a total capacity of 35.2 MW.

Additionally, the vendors have installed a capacity of 13.6 MW to date, Bhagat noted.

Regarding the overall work volume, it was informed that under Capex, a total of 70 MW of grid-connected solar rooftops will be installed on government buildings, with an additional 238 MW under RESCO mode by NHPC and JAKEDA cumulatively.