* Fixes target of 1000-2000 RTS installations for each DISCOM
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 26:Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation status of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana across J&K.
The meeting besides Principal Secretary, PDD and Secretary, S&T Department was attended by Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, I&C; Deputy Commissioners; MDs of JPDCL/KPDCL; CEO, JAKEDA; Chief Engineers of JPDCL/KPDCL and representatives from NHPC and other implementation agencies.
While taking stock of the current implementation, the Chief Secretary expressed concern over the slow pace of installations and called for immediate acceleration of efforts on the ground. He underscored the need for setting monthly targets, directing JPDCL and KPDCL to ensure at least 2,000 and 1,000 installations per month respectively without fail.
Dulloo also instructed the power distribution companies to prioritize commissioning of the already installed systems to enable the beneficiaries to start availing the benefits at the earliest. He remarked that the delays in activating installed units defeat the very purpose of this scheme.
Emphasizing the importance of awareness among the public, the Chief Secretary urged the Power Development Department (PDD) to launch an aggressive Information, Education & Communication (IEC) campaign. He said that concerted efforts must be made to mobilize registered applicants, encouraging them of the long-term benefits of adopting this beneficiary oriented scheme.
Earlier, Principal Secretary, PDD, Rajesh Prasad, briefed the meeting about the current status of this scheme and roadmap of its implementation here. He acknowledged the initial lag in implementation but assured that the department is witnessing steady progress now. He also laid out strategic interventions being adopted to cut down the waiting time and fast-track installations for registered households.
He further revealed that the Government of India has set a national target of 1.0 crore households with no state or UT-specific targets and divulged that J&K has proactively set an ambitious proportionate target of 83,500 residential consumers to benefit from the scheme by March 31, 2027. This includes 39,500 consumers for JPDCL and 44,000 for KPDCL.
Regarding the solarisation of Government buildings, the Secretary, S&T, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary revealed that a total of 22,494 Government buildings have been identified for solarization out of which, 12,994 buildings are being covered under the CAPEX mode, while 9,500 buildings are being implemented through RESCO mode by NHPC and JAKEDA.
While giving out the updated status of this scheme, the Secretary informed that as of July 21, 2025, solar power systems have been installed on 5,331 buildings, with a cumulative installed capacity of 48.84 MW under the CAPEX mode. Furthermore, a capacity of 54 MW has been allocated to vendors for survey out of the total proposed 70 MW.
The Chief Secretary emphasized the need to further accelerate the implementation pace and directed the concerned departments and vendors to remove bottlenecks and expedite completion of ongoing installations to meet the energy sustainability targets within the set timeline.
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