Cabinet OKs Rs 75k cr rooftop solar scheme, 1 cr households to get subsidy of up to Rs 78k

“The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of `75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for one crore households,” Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters after the Union Cabinet meeting. The PM had launched the scheme on February 13.

Through this scheme, households will be able to save electricity bills as well as earn additional income through sale of surplus power to DISCOMs. A 3-kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on an average for a household.

The scheme will run for four years — from 2023-24 to 2026-27, Thakur said, adding that it is expected that one crore household target will be saturated much earlier.

Thakur said subsidies for resident welfare associations (RWAs) and group housing societies will also be offered for solar-powered lighting. “Out of 45 GW solar capacity being targeted, 30 GW will be for domestic housing requirements,” he said, adding that under the scheme, rooftop solar panels will be installed in all government buildings by 2025.

The scheme provides a central financial assistance (CFA) of 60 per cent of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40 per cent of additional system cost for systems between 2 kW and 3 kW capacity; the assistance is capped at 3 kW. At current benchmark prices, this will mean `30,000 subsidy for 1 kW plant, `60,000 for 2 kW and `78,000 for 3 kW systems or higher, Thakur said.

According to a statement issued by the government, households can apply for subsidy through a national portal launched for the scheme, where they can also select a suitable vendor for installing rooftop solar units. The portal will offer information about appropriate system sizes, benefits calculator and vendor rating. Households can register on pmsuryaghar.gov to avail of the benefits.