Delhi cabinet approves extra 30k subsidy for installing solar panels
Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved the rollout of the PM Surya Ghar: Free Electricity – State Top-Up Scheme, increasing the total subsidy for residential solar panels to over ₹1 lakh, with an additional ₹30,000 top-up. Chief minister Rekha Gupta said residents can save up to ₹4,200 monthly by installing rooftop solar panels.
The cabinet also cleared a comprehensive dust control plan to fight rising air pollution in the city. As part of the initiative, 250 water sprinklers and 70 mechanised road sweeping machines will be deployed across Delhi before winter.
Announcing the decisions, Gupta said, 'Delhi govt approved an additional subsidy of ₹30,000 (₹10,000 per kW) for residential solar installations. This increases the total subsidy available to ₹1,08,000, the highest support offered under any such scheme so far.'
For a 1 kW solar panel, residents will receive ₹10,000 subsidy from the Delhi govt.
A budgetary allocation of ₹50 crore has been made for the scheme, with the aim of installing rooftop solar systems on 2.3 lakh residential units over the next three years. The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY), launched by PM Modi in Feb 2024, recently recorded 10 lakh solar-powered homes. According to Centre, the scheme has so far received over 47.3 lakh applications and govt has disbursed over ₹4,770 crore in subsidies to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries.
CM also announced that Delhi govt is partnering with financial institutions to offer easy loan options for the remaining installation cost of about ₹90,000. 'This will enable residents to install solar panels without any upfront payment,' she said.
The new structure allows consumers to access solar power solutions at zero initial cost while saving an average of ₹4,200 on their monthly electricity bills, Gupta said, adding that the initiative is a 'transformative step' toward building a cleaner, greener Delhi.
CM said to reduce pollution on Delhi's roads, the cabinet has also approved a comprehensive sanitation and dust-control plan for PWD, under which advanced cleaning machines will be procured. At least 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns and 70 mechanical road sweeping machines integrated with 210 water sprinkler machines and anti-smog guns, 18 dump vehicles, and 18 water tankers will be deployed. 'These machines are expected to be fully operational before the onset of winter,' she said.
CM said the environment department will provide the necessary budget to PWD under the 'Pollution Control and Emergency Measures' scheme for deployment of the machines. The machines will be used exclusively for dust cleaning on city roads, with the goal of improving overall air quality.
Gupta also announced the cabinet had approved a Directorate of Education proposal to reinstate the name of the 'Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship to Meritorious Students' scheme.
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