Deccan Herald’s inquiry drives the power distribution authority to implement its initiatives.
Story so far: Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will implement the first three projects under the ‘Soura Gruha Yojane’ solar rooftop scheme. Four years after the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched it and after the English language daily Deccan Herald’s reports on its poor implementation, the projects will see the light of day. Urban Development Minister Byrathi Basavaraj launched the first installation at Kalkere on Wednesday.
- BESCOM officials are rapidly inspecting the applications after the initial hiccups. Out of the 1,500 received applications, 200 were withdrawn. The authorities relaunched the application portal in December, which is still accessible for those interested.
- Reluctant vendors posed an impediment to the execution of the scheme. A meeting with the Karnataka Renewable Energy Systems Manufacturers Association (KRESMA) helped quicken the process.
About the scheme: In March 2019, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy introduced the Soura Gruha Yojana, which required city power distribution authorities to act as nodal agents. Under this scheme, consumers are awarded a 40% subsidy for solar installations up to 3kW and a 20% subsidy for installations over 3kW.