In a significant move to broaden the reach of rooftop solar energy, the Odisha government on Wednesday approved the integration of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana with various housing schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY), according to officials.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo. The meeting also saw the participation of Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra alongside Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik.
Singh Deo, who is also in charge of the Energy portfolio, said that individuals selected for PMAY and various other state-backed housing schemes will now be given the choice to set up rooftop solar panels via the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
“It will be an option for the beneficiaries. Our aim is to ensure that every beneficiary under PMAY and other housing schemes also gets the benefit of solar power. By integrating PM Surya Ghar with state housing programmes, we will provide 24×7 clean and affordable electricity while reducing power bills,” he said.
Detailing the financial breakdown, he pointed out that urban beneficiaries setting up a 1-kilowatt rooftop solar setup will get a central subsidy of Rs 30,000 paired with a state subsidy of Rs 25,000. Consequently, the homeowners will only have to pay a minimal out-of-pocket share of Rs 1,875 for the entire installation.
Beyond renewable energy, the meeting also evaluated critical strategies aimed at reinforcing the electricity grid and upgrading public safety standards.
Singh Deo instructed all power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to give top priority to executing robust safety protocols across both urban and rural areas.
Officials further said that a massive Rs 3,708 crore underground cabling project will be rolled out across the territories of all four DISCOMs to phase out risky overhead power lines.
To execute this systematically, the state plans to draft a thorough Detailed Project Report (DPR) focusing on power safety. This blueprint will map out the relocation of dangerously low-hanging wires, the replacement of exposed bare conductors with safe insulated wiring, and the setup of protective fences around power transformers, they added.
