JAMMU AND KASHMIR: A total of Rs 3.80 crore has been disbursed as Union Territory subsidy to 4,288 consumers across Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This financial assistance aims to encourage residential consumers to install rooftop solar systems.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the disclosure was made by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also held the Power portfolio, during a session in the Legislative Assembly. He was responding to a question posed by MLA Shakti Raj Parihar regarding the implementation of the scheme in the Union Territory.
Subsidy Breakdown
The subsidy disbursement was divided between the two main power distribution corporations in the region. The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) provided an amount of Rs 1.80 crore to 2,053 beneficiaries. Concurrently, the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) released Rs 2 crore to 2,235 consumers. These disbursements align with the provisions for Central Financial Assistance under the scheme.
Scheme Funding and Structure
The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is primarily funded by the Central government through financial assistance from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The Union Territory administration supplements this central funding with an additional subsidy component. This dual-subsidy approach makes rooftop solar installations more accessible and affordable for residential users.
Under the scheme’s framework, residential consumers are eligible for Central assistance based on the capacity of their rooftop solar systems. The assistance is structured at Rs 33,000 per kilowatt (kW) for the first 2 kW installed and Rs 19,800 per kW for the subsequent 1 kW. This provides a maximum Central subsidy of Rs 85,800 for systems with a capacity of up to 3 kW. The Union Territory government further enhances this by providing an additional Rs 3,000 per kW, bringing the total potential subsidy for a 3 kW installation to Rs 94,800.
Addressing Delays in Disbursement
The then Chief Minister also addressed the reasons behind potential delays in the release of the Union Territory’s subsidy share. He stated that these delays are largely attributable to the necessary processes of installation verification, scrutiny of submitted documents, and the subsequent integration of data with the national portal designated for the scheme. These steps are crucial for ensuring transparency and accuracy in subsidy distribution.
He assured the assembly that the administration was actively working to streamline these procedural bottlenecks. Efforts are underway to expedite the verification and documentation processes. Pending subsidy amounts are expected to be released once all the required verification formalities are successfully completed, ensuring that eligible consumers receive their entitled financial support.
The Chenab Times News Desk