J&K govt woos consumers for rooftop solar panel installation

Jammu: Motivating consumers to avail of the subsidy facilities under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) is wooing them to install rooftop solar panels and get rid of hefty power bills.
Notably, JAKEDA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydrogen energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security, low-carbon emissions, economic growth, and prosperity.
Official sources said that the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) has appealed to the domestic consumers to adopt grid-connected rooftop solar (RTS) plants under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana to avoid huge electricity bills.
“Heavy subsidies are being given by the central and state governments for setting up the project, and the consumers should take advantage of it and become power producers by availing of the benefits of free electricity,” said an official.
“Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, the total cost of a solar project with a capacity of up to three kilowatts is around Rs 1.50 lakh, of which 60 percent, i.e. Rs 94,800 is being given under subsidy,” adding that the consumer has to spend only Rs 64,200.
“Under the scheme, the Jammu and Kashmir government is providing an additional subsidy of Rs 3,000 for One KiloWatt peak, Rs 6,000 for two KW peaks, and Rs 9,000 for three KW peaks,” he said.
Meanwhile, appealing to consumers to deposit outstanding amounts of bills to avoid disconnections, he added, “The consumers who have electricity dues pending for a long time must take advantage of the amnesty scheme and start depositing the dues; otherwise, action will be initiated against them in the coming days.”
The JPDCL has advised domestic consumers with huge electricity dues to deposit the outstanding bills under the scheme, which is coming to an end by March 31, 2025.
“The consumers are being appealed by the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) and the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) to install solar rooftop systems under the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana,” said an official.
The scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024, aims to install rooftop solar systems in one crore households across India by March 2027.
UNI