In Short : At a camp for the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana held in Tripura, a minister emphasized the importance of citizens becoming power producers by adopting solar energy solutions. The minister highlighted how the scheme aims to empower households by enabling them to generate their own electricity through solar panels, reducing dependence on traditional energy sources and contributing to a more sustainable environment. This initiative is part of a broader effort to promote renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions, and provide cost-effective energy solutions to the populace.
In Detail : At a special camp organised for the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana on Monday, Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath appealed to people to become power producers by tapping into renewable energy sources instead of solely depending on conventional power-producing centres.
The solar power scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13 last year, aims to provide 300 units of free electricity to one crore households every month.
“PM Modi is a rare visionary. Coal and gas would be depleted in the future and, as a result, traditional power production would decrease. Recognising this, the PM took the decision to provide power in every house by utilising energy from sunlight,” Nath said. “The aim of the scheme is to increase rooftop solar power and to make families capable of producing power themselves.”
Urging people to take advantage of the scheme, Nath said the subsidy under the scheme had been increased for special-category states, including Tripura, to encourage their participation. The subsidy will be provided from 2023-24 to 2026-27 for the domestic sector, with the state expected to spend Rs 75,021 crore.
“If a person installs a 2-kilowatt solar panel in the housing sector, he will be given a subsidy of Rs 33,000 per kilowatt. If an additional 1-kilowatt solar panel is installed, a subsidy of Rs 19,800 will be given. If a 3-kilowatt solar panel is installed, the highest subsidy of Rs 85,800 will be provided,” said the minister, adding that no subsidy would be provided if the capacity exceeds 3 kilowatts.
In the case of housing societies or resident welfare associations and electric vehicle charging, solar panels of up to 500 kilowatts can be installed, and a subsidy of Rs 19,800 per kilowatt will be given.
“Every family can install solar panels of up to 3 kilowatts. After meeting their demands, the consumers can sell surplus power to Tripura State Electricity Nigam Limited,” said the minister.
The camp was organised at the office of Tripura State Electricity Nigam Limited for registering consumers in the Agartala Municipal Corporation, providing bank loans and selecting vendors for implementing the scheme.
The minister said similar camps would be organised in different wards of Agartala, including Mohanpur, in the coming days.
