Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Urges Increased Utilization of PM Surya Ghar Scheme

Kolkata: Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, today urged citizens to take advantage of the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which provides up to 300 free units of electricity with an allocation of Rs 75,021 crore. Addressing a review meeting in Kolkata, Joshi emphasized the importance of the scheme in promoting renewable energy and ensuring affordable power for millions of households across the country.

During the meeting, Joshi interacted with officials from West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and eight North-eastern states, advising them to enhance the implementation of PM Surya Ghar in their respective regions. He stressed that West Bengal can achieve more progress under the scheme and expressed his request to the concerned Ministers for greater support to ensure its success.

Joshi highlighted that the scheme has already registered over 1.5 crore applications nationwide, with 7.06 lakh households benefiting from up to 300 units of free electricity. He emphasized that the scheme should be pursued with a focus on its benefits for the people, rather than political motives. Additionally, he urged the state governments to collaborate by offering their own subsidies alongside the Central Government’s support to make the scheme more accessible and beneficial for citizens.

The Union Minister also held discussions with solar panel installation vendors and service providers from West Bengal to address the challenges they face in implementing rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar scheme. The challenges and potential solutions were explored to boost the adoption of solar energy across households.

The review meeting was attended by Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), along with senior officials from participating states, REC, DISCOM, and other renewable energy agencies. The collective efforts aim to ensure that the benefits of the scheme are maximized for the welfare of the people in these regions.