Latest news with #MuftBijliYojana
Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Chandigarh power utility told to curb outages, ramp up response
The Chandigarh Administration has asked Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL) to bring down power outages and improve service reliability, as the city grapples with repeated supply disruptions barely five months after the private company took over electricity distribution. At a review meeting on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma pulled up CPDL over a recent seven-hour blackout that hit multiple sectors after moisture caused a busbar flash at the Sector 56 substation. Officials admitted that the anti-hygroscopic paint applied ahead of the monsoon had failed and said dehumidifiers would now be deployed to prevent similar breakdowns. The meeting, attended by Secretary (engineering) Prerna Puri, Chief Engineer C B Ojha, senior CPDL executives and administration officials, also took stock of measures to strengthen the city's power infrastructure. CPDL reported that it had installed three 20 MVA power transformers and replaced 28 distribution transformers, unlocking an additional 59 MVA capacity. These measures enabled the utility to meet Chandigarh's highest-ever peak demand of 465 MW. Officials said the utility had expanded its 24×7 call centre, scaling manpower from 17 to 52, and increasing phone lines fivefold to handle consumer complaints. Fault response capacity was augmented with 100 outsourced technicians, 80 in-house technical staff and 20 support assistants, helping restore 95 per cent of outages within two hours in July. The administration also reviewed progress under the PM Surya Ghar–Muft Bijli Yojana and CPDL's manpower integration, with 72 employees transferred from the UT promoted on a current duty charge basis. The performance review comes amid public concern over the frequency of power cuts this monsoon and the transition from the erstwhile electricity department to CPDL. The administration is banking on the private operator to modernise a network long dogged by capacity constraints and ageing equipment, with consumer expectations of faster response and more reliable supply running high. CPDL, which took charge on February 1, flagged areas where it required the administration's support to speed up its upgrade plans. The roadmap ahead, including measures to strengthen field response and grievance redressal, was also discussed at the meeting.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
15.45 lakh households benefit from rooftop solar installation: Union Minister in LS
New Delhi: A total of 15.45 lakh households in the country and 5.23 lakh households in Gujarat have benefitted from rooftop solar installation, including that of rural areas (as of July 14), the Parliament was informed on Wednesday. One of the components of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, launched in February 2024, is the development of Model Solar Village in each district of the country. "An amount of Rs 800 crore has been allocated for this component with a provision of central financial assistance of Rs one crore per model village," Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy, informed in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. In addition, under the component 'Incentives to Local Bodies', the scheme has provision of providing an incentive at Rs 1,000 per rooftop solar installation in the respective jurisdiction of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) at the Gram Panchayat level, he informed. The scheme targets to achieve rooftop solar installations in one crore households in the residential sector by providing central financial assistance. It is demand-driven, wherein all residential consumers in the country, including those in rural areas having a grid-connected electricity connection of the local DISCOM, can avail the benefits by applying on the National Portal of the scheme, said the minister. The government has taken several measures to make the scheme more effective, like online process from registration to disbursal of subsidy directly in to the bank account of the residential consumer through National Portal, availability of collateral free loan from nationalised banks at concessional interest rate of repo-rate plus 50 bps -- 6 per cent per annum for the present with tenure of 10 years -- and simplified regulatory approval process by waiving technical feasibility requirement and introducing auto load enhancement up to 10 kW. The scheme aims to bring solar power to one crore households by March 2027.
Deccan Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Deccan Herald
PM Modi, Sitharaman term Meghalaya 'blueprint for resilient, self-reliant India'
Union Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman highlights Meghalaya's remarkable transformation driven by tourism, youth empowerment, women-led SHGs, initiatives like the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the Vibrant Village Programme and more. With strong government support and vibrant…
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
BSES hits 10,000 rooftop solar mark, saves Delhiites Rs 160 crore a year
NEW DELHI: In a major green milestone, BSEShas energised over 10,000 rooftop solar net metering connections, with a combined sanctioned load of approximately 220 MWp across South, West, East, and Central Delhi. This shift is not just helping curb pollution, but also powering consumer savings of nearly Rs 160 crore annually. The initiative has seen an overwhelming response, particularly from the residential sector—around 6,900 homes have adopted solar, followed by commercial (1,771), educational (981), industrial (163), and other establishments (236). While the domestic segment has the most connections, the commercial sector accounts for the highest energised load at 81 MWp. This solar momentum has been driven by the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and Delhi's Solar Policy, which offer up to Rs 1.08 lakh in subsidies, low-interest loans, and attractive generation-based incentives. Consumers can choose between the Capex model, where they own the system, and the Hybrid RESCO model, which involves zero upfront cost. A typical 10 kW domestic rooftop system can help save up to Rs 86,400 annually. Consumers can also earn by feeding surplus electricity back into the grid. Over 125 residential societies have adopted this model, contributing more than 5.5 MWp of clean energy. BSES' Solar City Initiative is driving awareness, quality compliance, and long-term sustainability. Rooftop systems generate 100–120 units per kW each month, with cost recovery achievable in 3–4 years. Other benefits include reducing total billed consumption, potentially qualifying consumers for Delhi Government's power subsidy. Currently, the RESCO to Capex ratio among BSES consumers is about 10% to 90%, reflecting a strong preference for ownership and long-term gains.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
1.67cr homes to get 125 units of free power: CM
1 2 Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that the state govt will provide 125 units of free electricity to 1.67 crore domestic consumers from Aug 1. He added that financial assistance will be extended to poor and eligible households opting to install solar panels under the Centre's PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The announcement was made through the CM's official social media handle. "We have decided that all domestic power consumers will get 125 units of free electricity from Aug 1 this year. That is, they will not have to pay for 125 units of electricity from the bill of July. It will benefit 1.67 crore families in the state," Nitish said. The initiative is expected to increase the state's subsidy burden, which already stands at Rs 15,995 crore for the current financial year. The provision of free power will add several thousand crores to the state's expenditure. To mitigate the financial impact, the govt plans to promote solar energy use under both the Bihar Kutir Jyoti Yojana and the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which provides a 50% central subsidy for the installation of rooftop solar panels and associated equipment. Explaining the plan further, Nitish said, "We have also decided that the consent of these domestic power consumers will be taken for installing solar panels on the rooftops of their houses, or on nearby public land, to give them the benefit of solar energy." He added, "Under the Kutir Jyoti Yojana, the govt will bear the cost of installing solar energy equipment for extremely poor families and the govt will also provide proper financial assistance to the remaining ones." Highlighting the long-term energy goals, the CM said, "As a result of this, the domestic consumers will not have to bear the cost of 125 units of electricity and in tune with the same as much as 10,000MW of solar energy will be available in the next three years." Currently, the state provides a power subsidy to all domestic and several other categories of consumers. The new policy will build on that support, while gradually shifting towards sustainable and decentralised energy sources. While political comparisons have been made in the past regarding free electricity promises, the CM, in his statement, refrained from responding to any such proposals made by opposition leaders. He reiterated that Bihar has historically aimed to provide affordable electricity rather than making it entirely free. "Right from the beginning, we have been making electricity available to all at cheaper rates," Nitish said, maintaining that the current decision aims to balance affordability with sustainability.
