Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Wednesday decided to integrate the PM Surya Ghar Yojana with various housing schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), to expand access to rooftop solar power, officials said.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, attended by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik.
Singh Deo, who also holds the Energy portfolio, said beneficiaries of PMAY and other government housing schemes would have the option of availing rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
It will be an option for the beneficiaries. Our aim is to ensure that every beneficiary under PMAY and other housing schemes also gets the benefit of solar power. By integrating PM Surya Ghar with state housing programmes, we will provide 24×7 clean and affordable electricity while reducing power bills, he said.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries in urban areas installing a 1-kilowatt rooftop solar system will receive a subsidy of Rs 30,000 from the Centre and Rs 25,000 from the state government, leaving them to contribute only Rs 1,875 for the installation, he said.
The meeting also reviewed measures to strengthen power infrastructure and improve public safety.
Singh Deo directed power distribution companies to accord priority to safety measures in both urban and rural areas.
It was decided to undertake an underground cabling project worth Rs 3,708 crore across all four DISCOMs to replace overhead electricity lines, officials said.
The state would also prepare a comprehensive detailed project report (DPR) on power safety measures, which would include shifting low-hanging power lines, replacing bare conductors with insulated ones and installing protective fencing around distribution substations, they said.