Srinagar, July 26: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation status of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana across J&K.The meeting saw detailed deliberations on the progress of rooftop solar installations being carried out under the flagship scheme aimed at promoting clean energy and easing electricity expenses for households.While taking stock of the current implementation, the Chief Secretary expressed concern over the slow pace of installations and called for immediate acceleration of efforts on the ground. He underscored the need for setting monthly targets, directing JPDCL and KPDCL to ensure at least 2,000 and 1,000 installations per month respectively without fail.Dullo also instructed the power distribution companies to prioritize commissioning of the already installed systems to enable the beneficiaries to start availing the benefits at the earliest. He remarked that the delays in activating installed units defeat the very purpose of this scheme.Emphasizing the importance of awareness among the public, the Chief Secretary urged the Power Development Department (PDD) to launch an aggressive Information, Education & Communication (IEC) campaign. He said that concerted efforts must be made to mobilize registered applicants, encouraging them of the long-term benefits of adopting this beneficiary oriented scheme.Earlier, Principal Secretary, PDD, Rajesh Prasad, briefed the meeting about the current status of this scheme and roadmap of its implementation here. He acknowledged the initial lag in implementation but assured that the department is witnessing steady progress now. He also laid out strategic interventions being adopted to cut down the waiting time and fast-track installations for registered households.He further revealed that the Government of India has set a national target of 1.0 crore households with no state or UT-specific targets and divulged that J&K has proactively set an ambitious proportionate target of 83,500 residential consumers to benefit from the scheme by March 31, 2027. This includes 39,500 consumers for JPDCL and 44,000 for KPDCL.
