Chief Secretary for making more efforts to meet the target set for PMSG-MBY

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on friday while chairing a meeting to assess the progress made on implementation of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG-MBY)here impresses upon Discoms of PDD to make more efforts regarding creation of awareness and reaching out to public for achieving target under this central scheme.

Those present in the meeting were Principal Secretary, PDD; Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Science & Technology; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir/Jammu; Secretary, PD&MD; MD, JPDCL/KPDCL; CEO, JAKEDA; Chief Engineer, KPDCL, Representatives from NHPC/REC besides other concerned officers either physically or virtually through video conferencing.

Dulloo while going through the implementation of this scheme here through discoms urged them to make people aware about the benefits they can reap under this scheme. He observed that this scheme has a greater scope here as people can get free electricity by taking part in it.

He advised the Department to reach out to public through different media platforms including sending bulk SMS or inscribing the information over their monthly electricity bills which would directly improve its traction among consumers. He asked them to specifically target the consumers whose electricity bills run in several thousand rupees each month.

Earlier while taking stock of the solarization of government buildings through J&K Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), the Chief Secretary took note of the progress made on tendering process funded either by Capex or through RESCO mode.

He enjoined upon the Science & Technology Department to keep up the pace by regularly monitoring its implementation here so that the targets set are accomplished as per designated timelines.

In his presentation, the MD, JPDCL, Choudhary Yasin threw light on different aspects of PM Surya Ghar Yojana scheme. He apprised the meeting that the Department has given wide publicity highlighting the benefits of this scheme.

He gave out that thousands of registrations had been made by people over the respective websites of the discoms. He revealed that till date around 350 consumers have received their subsidy through DBT mode throughout the UT.

Regarding the scheme it was given out that it is the first pan-India On-Grid solar rooftop scheme for residential houses aimed at bringing down AT&C losses by providing free/ low-cost electricity.

It was elucidated that the scheme carries a lucrative central subsidy of up to Rs 85,800 for SRT of 3 kwp (1 kwp: Rs 33,000; 2 kwp: Rs 66,000) with additional UT subsidy of max up to Rs 9000 for 3 kwp (1 kwp: Rs 3000; 2 kwp: Rs 6,000) that goes directly into beneficiary’s account through DBT.

The meeting was further apprised that the scheme is live in both the divisions with a target of 39,500 households for JPDCL and 44,000 households for KPDCL to be met till 2027.

It was added that the customers grievances are centrally tracked through a call centre accessed by dialling a toll free number 15555. The meeting was informed that the grievances received had been resolved upto the full satisfaction of the customers.

As far as the progress on Solarization of government buildings is concerned, it was revealed by the Commissioner Secretary S&T, Saurabh Bhagat, that the department is going to saturate the government buildings with installation of Solar rooftop plants either through Capex or RESCO mode.

JAKEDA has floated e-tender for installation of 70 MW solar rooftop plants under Capex covering some 8548 government buildings and 238 MW covering 9877 buildings under RESCO mode taking the total to 344 MW across J&K with 36 MW already installed as of October, 2024.

Moreover the meeting discussed the issues of installation of smart meters by the respective discoms in all these buildings and passing of virtual net metering benefit to the beneficiary consumers at an earliest.