PM launches mega scheme to improve power distribution
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Power Ministry’s flagship “Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme” with an aim to improve the operational efficiencies, besides ensuring financial sustainability of power distribution companies. With plans to provide 25 crore Smart Prepaid meters to the consumers all over the country, the scheme has an outlay of Rs.3,03,758 crore to be spent over the next five years beginning FY 21-22 to FY 25-26.
Under this scheme the DISCOMs will be provided financial assistance for the modernisation as well as strengthening of distribution infrastructure. The scheme aims at improvement of the reliability and quality of power supply to the end consumers. A national portal for rooftop solar was also launched by the PM. The portal will enable tracking of the entire process of installation of rooftop solar plants online. The process will start from registering the applications to the release of subsidy in the bank account of the residential consumers—after the installation and the plant’s inspection.
The scheme is expected to emerge as a major step towards unleashing the potential of solar rooftop in the country. It is estimated that the capacity of national solar rooftop program will be 4000 MW and it will contribute towards the country’s target to produce 500 GW energy using non-fossil fuels in accordance with the commitment made at COP-26 Summit.
During the announcement, the PM also laid the foundation stone of NTPC’s green energy projects worth Rs 5200 crore. He also inaugurated a 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Project in Telangana, besides a 92 MW Kayamkulam Floating Solar Project in Kerala. Modi also laid the foundation stone of Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh, 735 MW Nokh Solar Project in Rajasthan, apart from Kawas Green Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas project in Gujarat.
R. K. Singh, Union Minister for Power and NRE informed that the power generation capacity has increased to over 4, 00, 000 MW. Under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’–the event to mark the 75 years of India’s Independence — the ministry has been organizing ‘Bijli Mahotsav’ across all the districts of the country from July 25 to 31 July 2022 under Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya – Power @ 2047 involving active participation of the public. Meanwhile, the launched projects under this initiative include India’s largest floating solar PV project known as the ‘Ramagundam project’, the second largest floating solar pv project ‘Kayamkulam project’ and India’s largest domestic content requirement-based solar project ‘735 MW Solar PV Project at Nokh, Jaisalmer, among others
