Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that more than one crore households have registered for the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which aims to provide free solar power to low income families.
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“Outstanding news! In about a month since it was launched, over one crore households have already registered themselves for the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Registrations have been pouring in from all parts of the nation. Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh have seen over five lakh registrations. Those who haven’t registered yet should also do so at the earliest,” the Prime Minister tweeted on X.
This initiative promises substantial reductions in electricity expenses for households, along with ensuring energy production. It’s poised to encourage Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) on a grand scale, contributing to a better planet, he added.
Last month, the government approved the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar (RTS) systems and providing free electricity of up to 300 units every month for one crore low income households.
PM Narendra Modi had launched the scheme on February 13, 2024. Following which, the government launched a massive campaign for raising awareness and generating applications from interested households. Households can register themselves on https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in, to avail benefits under the scheme.
Simplifying installation
The scheme provides a central financial assistance (CFA) of 60 per cent of the system cost for 2 kilowatt (kW) systems and 40 per cent of additional system cost for systems between 2-3 kW capacity. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said.
At current benchmark prices, this will mean ₹30,000 subsidy for 1 kW system, ₹60,000 for 2 kW systems and ₹78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher, it added.
The households can apply for subsidy through the portal and will be able to select a suitable vendor for installing the rooftop solar (RTS).
The National Portal will also assist the households in their decision-making process by providing relevant information such as appropriate system sizes, benefits calculator, vendor rating, etc.
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Households will be able to access collateral-free, low-interest loan products of around 7 per cent at present for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.