Raipur, Sep 4 (IANS) Gariabad, a lesson known location in Chhattisgarh, has found itself in the spotlight over drastic reduction in electricity bills in various households, with many claiming that their power expenses have dropped to zero.
In Gariaband’s Atarmara village, many villagers and locals have subscribed to the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana and got solar panels installed on their rooftops. This has resulted in significant relief for them as their electricity bills have either dropped to half or reduced to zero, with some even reporting excess production of electricity, enabling them to monetise the same.
Surendra Kumar Sen, a local villager installed 3-kilowatt solar panel system at his home. In the last three months, solar panels have generated 700-800 units of electricity, resulting in significant savings for him and his family.
He notes that while his monthly electricity bill used to range from Rs 900 to Rs 1,100, the installation of solar panels helped cut it down drastically.
During installation of solar grids under the scheme, Surendra Kumar received a total subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh. This amount comprised Rs 78,000 from the Central government and Rs 30,000 from the State government.
Another beneficiary said, “PM Surya Ghar Yojana has brought benefits to many ordinary beneficiaries. I installed a 3-kilowatt solar panel system at my home three months ago. During this period, the system generated around 700 to 800 units of electricity. I have received considerable relief on my electricity bill; previously, the cost ranged from Rs 900-Rs 1,100, now I am actually feeding about 70 to 80 units back to the grid.”
Others described the Central welfare scheme as highly beneficial for those with lower-income groups, saying that it provides them with relief from burden of high power bills.
Notably, the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the world’s largest domestic rooftop solar initiative, which seeks to transform India’s energy landscape with a bold vision to supply solar power to more than one crore households by March 2027.
–IANS
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