Puducherry pays ₹30,000 solar subsidy to 3,333 rooftop plant users

Puducherry has started paying its ₹30,000 share of subsidy to Electricity Department consumers who installed rooftop solar plants of 3 kW and above. Minister for Home and Electricity A. Namassivayam opened the payment at Kamarajar Manimandam on Saturday. Around 3,333 consumers who put up a 3 kW plant will get the money, and the government has spent ₹10 crore on it.

Along with this, 3 kW consumers get ₹78,000 from the Centre under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. A 1 kW plant brings about ₹40,000 in total (₹30,000 Central and ₹10,000 from the UT) and a 2 kW plant about ₹80,000 (₹60,000 Central and ₹20,000 from the UT).

So far 8,135 applications have come in and 6,452 plants are installed. Total installed capacity is 23.32 MW. Subsidy of ₹40.99 crore has reached 5,295 people. Around 80 vendors are registered for rooftop solar work in the UT. A 3 kW system can make about 4,500 units a year and is built to run 25 years or more. Bank loans for it are offered at 5.75% interest.

Power Secretary A. Muthamma said about 13,000 residential consumers will be covered under the subsidy scheme on a first-come-first-served basis, and 79 government buildings already have solar panels.

How to apply

Families have to apply for the plant through the PM Surya Ghar portal and use a vendor from the department's registered solar vendors list. Subsidy and bank details are on the Electricity Department solar rooftop page.