CHANDIGARH, Jun 4: The Haryana government is working on a scheme under which domestic electricity consumers with up to 1kw of connected load will be provided solar systems on their rooftops, Energy Minister Anil Vij said on Thursday.
Beneficiaries of this scheme would not have to visit banks for loans or guarantees, he said, adding that the department officials would visit their homes, complete the necessary formalities, and facilitate the installation of solar power systems on their rooftops.
As a result, the electricity bills of such consumers would become nearly zero, the minister said.
More than 7 lakh consumers in Haryana have electricity connections with loads of up to 1 kW and could benefit from this initiative, Vij said.
He further said that a similar arrangement is being proposed for consumers with loads of up to 5 kW who regularly pay their electricity bills.
Under this scheme, apart from the government subsidy, the remaining cost would be recovered from consumers through easy instalments, and no bank loan would be required.
Vij said that he has recently put a proposal before Union Power Minister Manohar Lal, under which farmers whose land remains vacant and whose family members live outside the village will be allowed to install solar plants on their land at their own expense.
The government would then purchase the electricity generated at predetermined rates. This would provide farmers with an additional source of income while also promoting clean energy generation in the state, Vij said.
He said that the central government has identified Haryana as one of the leading states in the field of solar energy, and the state government would intensify its efforts and continue working towards making Haryana completely self-reliant in solar energy.
He informed that Haryana has received the highest number of applications under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The state government has set a target of installing 2,20,000 rooftop solar systems during the current fiscal year and is striving to achieve the target ahead of schedule.
Vij said that the Haryana government is continuously working to make the state a national leader in solar energy.
As conventional energy resources such as coal, gas, and petroleum are limited, the government is focusing on maximising the use of renewable resources to meet the state’s growing energy needs, he said. (PTI )
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