On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ to accelerate solar power adoption and foster sustainable development ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. The project entails more than Rs 75,000 crore investment to boost renewable energy while enhancing people’s welfare.
The initiative seeks to illuminate 10 million households by offering up to 300 units of free electricity per month. Modi highlighted the importance of grassroots engagement, announcing incentives for urban local bodies and panchayats to encourage the adoption of rooftop solar systems within their jurisdictions.
PM Modi Unveils ‘PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ to Promote Solar Power Adoption
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the prime minister wrote,
In order to further sustainable development and people’s wellbeing, we are launching the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This project, with an investment of over Rs. 75,000 crores, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2024
PM Modi announced the launch of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, stating that the project would entail an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore. “In order to further sustainable development and people’s well-being, we are launching the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This project, with an investment of over Rs 75,000 crore, aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month,” the Prime Minister said on X. From substantive subsidies, which will be given directly to people’s bank accounts, to heavily concessional bank loans, the central government will ensure that there is no cost burden on the people, he said.
The Prime Minister added that all stakeholders will be integrated into a National Online Portal. PM Modi also stated that to popularize this scheme at the grassroots level, local urban bodies and panchayats shall be incentivized to promote rooftop solar systems in their jurisdictions. “At the same time, the scheme will lead to more income, lesser power bills, and employment generation for people,” the Prime Minister said.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman Highlights Benefits of Rooftop Solar Scheme
In her Budget 2024 speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the rooftop solar scheme. She stated,
“Through rooftop solarization, one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month. ‘Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ follows the resolve of Hon’ble Prime Minister on the historic day of consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,”
She listed the following expected benefits:
- Savings of up to fifteen to eighteen thousand rupees annually for households from free solar electricity and selling the surplus to the distribution companies;
- Charging of electric vehicles;
- Entrepreneurship opportunities for a large number of vendors for supply and installation;
- Employment opportunities for the youth with technical manufacturing, installation, and maintenance skills.
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