Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (MS)

Udupi, Aug 9: Household electricity consumers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have shown little interest in the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, a union government initiative aimed at increasing self-reliance in electricity usage. Out of 10,26,853 consumers in the twin districts, only 2,063 have expressed interest in the scheme.

The union government, in its budget for this year, introduced a scheme to install solar panels on the roofs of one crore houses, with a grant of Rs 10,000 crore. The project aims to provide 300 units of free electricity to households each month.

Within Mescom limits, covering Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga districts, 2,717 applications have been received, of which 2,329 have been approved. This will enable the implementation of 317 projects with a combined capacity of 1,344.33 KW. In Dakshina Kannada district, 1,138 out of 1,314 applications have been approved, with solar panel installations completed in 198 houses. In Udupi district, 658 out of 749 applications have been approved, with installations completed in 108 houses.

By connecting the rooftop solar system to the grid, consumers can avoid paying electricity bills for 25 years. The system requires no extra space as it is installed on the roof and has minimal maintenance costs. Subsidies are available: Rs 30,000 for a 1 KW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 KW, and Rs 78,000 for 3 KW and above.