Maha govt to provide subsidy for rooftop solar panels, implement underground cabling: CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, July 14 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the state cabinet has cleared a policy in line with the PM Suryaghar Yojana, wherein a subsidy will be provided for the installation of rooftop solar panels to the electricity consumers consuming 0-100 units.

Apart from this, the government will consider the implementation of underground cabling across the state, and after the approval of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), a surcharge of 1, 2 or 5 paise can be recovered from the tariff charged to the electricity consumers.

He was replying to the calling attention motion moved by NCP member Chetan Tupe in this regard in the state Assembly.

CM Fadnavis, who holds the energy department, said that it is for the first time in the last 20 years that the electricity tariff charged to almost 70 per cent of the consumers consuming 0-100 units of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (Mahavitaran) has been reduced. The tariff cut has been 26 per cent. He said there won’t be a 10 per cent rise in the power tariff for these consumers in future.

The CM said that the underground cabling has been launched in some parts, but it can be started in other parts of Maharashtra to further streamline the electricity supply. The surcharge of 1,2, or five paise per unit will be recovered through a surcharge in the tariff from the electricity consumers. Congress legislator Amit Deshmukh had sought the CM’s reply on the implementation of underground cabling across the state.

On Amit Deshmukh’s question on the present state of smart metering, CM Fadnavis said that so far, 40 lakh smart meters have already been installed, and only one per cent of complaints with regard to the installation have been received, which were addressed immediately.

He further added that there have been no complaints about inflated electricity bills from the consumers.

CM Fadnavis said that consumers having smart meters get a 10 per cent rebate in the electricity tariff, especially during solar hours.

He clarified that the charges for the installation of smart meters are not recovered from the electricity consumers but from energy savings. He told the House that the smart meter installation was being done through outsourcing.

The CM said that electricity consumers having smart meters through an APP can get real-time information about their electricity consumption and also about energy savings.

--IANS

sj/dpb