Karnataka has been a leading state in establishing solar power. Their houses, businesses, public buildings, and private spaces all are promoted to install rooftop solar panels. India’s government scheme for solar energy “PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is now creating awareness for installing solar.

The scheme which was launched in February bought 10,000 applications from Karnataka for the installations. The energy department shared data on 22,000 solar panels installed in the state producing 570 MW of electricity.  9377 out of 20,000 panels are installed in Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) producing 301.7 MW of power. 

Bengluru’s energy department has organized a workshop to make the scheme more popular. Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, joint secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was present there and he stated that “the model is in place and the application process has also been digitized”.

Though the government is encouraging people to install solar panels but government itself is lacking in providing incentives for private property owners. Vendors and Stakeholders have also facing technical issues with the MNRE website for the past three months.   

The government is working on the problem and they have appointed some of the officials to look after the vendor’s issues. The scheme was launched in February 2024 with an outlay of 75,000 crore. The scheme provides 300 units of electricity to 1 crore households. 

To execute this scheme effectively, approximately 229 vendors have been registered. This initiative by the government can create a major transformation. Solar energy should be promoted and used to reduce the supply of non-renewable sources of energy, says Additional Chief Secretary of, the Energy Department, Gaurav Gupta.

Recently, the BESCOM corporate office initiated a Surya Rath Yatra for awareness of the scheme. The Yatra included many officials of the government and energy department. They explained the advantages of the scheme and the subsidies the government is providing. 

Source: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2024/Jun/09/10000-applicants-from-karnataka-for-pms-solar-scheme