Bank branches in Dakshina Kannada district have been asked to extend at least three loans every month to domestic rooftop solar energy units.

Participating in an awareness programme on rooftop solar energy units in Mangaluru on Saturday, Raghava Y, Manager of the lead bank of the district, said the district has around 600 branches of various banks. They have been asked to extend loans to at least three domestic rooftop solar energy units every month for the next four months.

Prasad Rao, Assistant General Manager, Nabard, said loans up to ₹10 lakh for domestic rooftop solar energy units have been placed under priority sector lending. The banks should make use of this, he said.

AB Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district, said each branch of the banks in the district should extend at least ₹1 crore for the proposals regarding domestic rooftop solar energy units during the current financial year.

He said the rooftop solar energy units would be installed at the office complex of the Deputy Commissioner in Mangaluru by the end of the current financial year.

The Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada, Nalin Kumar Kateel, has promised to sanction ₹25 lakh, and Ivan D’Souza, Member of Legislative Council, has promised ₹5 lakh from their respective local area development funds for the purpose, he said.

Ivan D’Souza, Member of Legislative Council, said the banks should conduct solar loan fairs on the lines of home and vehicle loan fairs to popularise rooftop solar energy units.

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