CS Dulloo reviews progress on solarization of houses & govt buildings in J&K

Srinagar | Oct 07:Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Wednesday reviewed the progress on implementation of the solarization programme in Jammu and Kashmir, taking detailed stock of rooftop solar installations among residential consumers and solarization of Government buildings through CAPEX and RESCO modes under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana here.
The meeting besides ACS, Power was attended by Commissioner Secretary, S&T; MD, JPDCL/KPDCL; Chief Engineers; CEO, JAKEDA and other concerned officers. Deputy Commissioners attended the meeting through video conferencing.
Addressing the meeting Chief Secretary emphasized the need for the Power Development Department (PDD) and implementing agencies to address various bottlenecks hindering the progress of rooftop solar installations. Key areas of focus include improving bank financing, ensuring the availability and distribution of vendors, enhancing metering processes, and expediting the execution of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Notably, the high rejection rate of bank loans has prompted the Chief Secretary to instruct Discoms to engage with banks regarding rejected loan applications to facilitate access for eligible consumers to the rooftop solar program. During the appraisal, it was reported that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 55.24 percent of its target under the PM Surya Ghar initiative, with 46,133 residential rooftops installed against a target of 83,500 by March 31, 2027. This achievement surpasses the national average of 50.80 percent. The cumulative installed rooftop solar capacity in the region has reached 165.24 MW, with significant contributions from both JPDCL and KPDCL areas. Financial support has been substantial, with ₹344.14 crore in Central subsidies and ₹13 crore in UT subsidies credited to beneficiaries. The meeting also highlighted the solarization of government buildings, with 8,850 out of a target of 12,994 buildings already solarized, contributing a capacity of 95.64 MW. Various projects are at different stages of implementation, with ongoing efforts to solarize an additional 8,000 government buildings under the RESCO mode. The Chief Secretary has directed JAKEDA to ensure timely installation of meters and smart meters to prevent delays in the commissioning of solar systems on government buildings. He stressed the importance of completing PPAs swiftly and called for enhanced focus on the RESCO mode to accelerate progress. Overall, the Chief Secretary has urged for coordinated efforts among agencies to resolve financing, vendor availability, metering, and project execution issues, thereby ensuring that the growing pipeline of rooftop solar projects translates into operational assets in a timely manner.