UT not to extend solar plant date

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 16

The UT Administration has  decided not to extend the  deadline for installation of solar plants in houses, commercial properties   and industrial  units.  

 Sources  said the decision  had been taken  after  considering various  representations  of associations.   The Administration has  taken the  decision  with the aim of making Chandigarh a model solar  city as  announced by the Centre. A senior  officer said the Administration had already  given enough time   (two years) to the   residents and it could not afford to lag behind on this  front any more. 

The two-year deadline for installing solar power plants expires on May 18.  

The UT Administration, in a notification issued on May 18, 2016, had made installation of rooftop solar power plants mandatory for houses and commercial and industrial units measuring 500 sq yards and above, and for group housing societies. While solar plants were made mandatory in new houses, the owners of the existing ones were given two years to comply with the direction. Sources said there were  7,500  residential, commercial  and industrial  units measuring 500 sq yards  and above where solar  plants were to be installed.

Sources said only 550  houses had installed solar   plants  so far  and  approximately  1,000 had   applied for it. On an average, 40 residents were applying for the installation of solar plants daily. The department  received  150 applications on Wednesday. The Administration is providing subsidy to residents for installing the solar plants.

The Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has asked the  Estate Office to ensure compliance  of the  notification. Sources  said the Estate  Office  would start a survey of houses   and would issue notices  for resumption of plots   to those who had failed to  comply with the direction.

Babla wants deadline extended

Leader of the Opposition in the MC Devinder Singh Babla on Wednesday wrote to the UT Adviser seeking an extension in the May 18 deadline set by  CREST for installing rooftop solar power plants. “There is a sense of uncertainty and panic among residents who have not applied for installation of rooftop solar panels because of some valid reasons such as high cost, no space in old houses and most of them remaining non-functional after being installed,” said the Congress leader.