Una, November 5 - Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, a village in Una district will be developed as a model solar village. Under this scheme, a provision of one crore rupees has been made to promote solar energy in the village and meet the electricity needs with clean energy. This information was given by Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal, Chairman of the Coordination Committee (DLCC) constituted to review the implementation of the scheme at the district level. Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal said that the village selected under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme will be developed as a model village based on solar energy. The aim of this initiative is to provide cheap and clean electricity to the villagers. Also, there will be an opportunity to get economic benefits by sending the excess electricity generated in the village to the grid.
Under the scheme, there is a condition to select one village from the villages with a population of 2 thousand in the district. According to the 2011 census, there are 32 villages in the district whose population is more than 2000. In such a situation, a request has been made at the high level to include Gram Panchayats in it to make the scheme comprehensive.
The Deputy Commissioner said that facilities like community solar plant, rooftop solar plant, solar pumping system, solar lights in houses and street lights in the village will be provided in the model solar village. In a meeting held on Monday evening, the progress of the scheme and the strategy for its implementation in the district were discussed. The Deputy Commissioner said that under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, domestic electricity consumers will get subsidy on grid-connected solar power plants of up to 3 kW capacity on their rooftops. A subsidy of Rs 33,000 per kW is being provided on capacity up to 2 kW and Rs 19,800 on additional 1 kW. Under this scheme, solar energy produced at home can be used to meet the electricity needs of the house. The option of sending the excess electricity produced from the solar plant to the grid will also be available, which will help the residents of the village to get more benefits.
Assistant Commissioner Varinder Sharma, Project Director of Him Energy and Member Secretary of DLCC Sohan Lal along with other officers were also present in the meeting.