J&K Chief Secy fixes target of 30,000 solar installations

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a meeting today to review the progress made in the installation of solar rooftops under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting aimed to assess the progress of the scheme and identify steps to expedite its implementation.

Present in the meeting were Principal Secretary, PDD; Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Science & Technology; Managing Directors of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCl); CEO of Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA); Chief Engineers, and other officers concerned, who participated both in person and through virtual mode.

Dulloo emphasised the importance of conducting extensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns to raise awareness about the scheme among the public. He urged the departments concerned to create awareness materials in local languages for easier understanding and to send bulk SMSs to the targeted consumers.

The Chief Secretary directed that every panchayat should be reached through full-fledged programs distributing IEC materials in local languages, as well as through the demonstration of educational videos and success stories. He further instructed Discoms to designate nodal officers to oversee these activities and ensure relevant feedback is shared with higher authorities. He even set a target for the Discoms to install approximately 30,000 solar rooftops across the UT districts and advised intensifying the outreach campaign until the desired results are achieved.

Principal Secretary, PDD, H Rajesh Prasad, informed the meeting that the financial institutions/banks were extending loans at a rate of 7 per cent in order to make the installations easier for the consumers. Additionally, central financial assistance is directly disbursed into the applicants’ bank accounts within 15 days after the installation of solar rooftops by vendors.

Prasad further disclosed that the savings under the scheme, even for those taking loans, are substantial. The Government of India is providing a subsidy of Rs 33,000 per kW, with an additional subsidy of Rs 3,000 per kW from the UT government, up to an installation capacity of 3 kW for domestic consumers. He reported that around 11,000 applications had been received from Jammu and Kashmir divisions, with 617 installations completed to date. It was noted that the savings would increase with future power tariff revisions. The scheme is also expected to improve progress in restricting AT&C losses and enhance the efficiency of power supply to consumers.