NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta chaired a key meeting of the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday, where several important decisions were approved for the city’s sustainable development and citizen welfare.
One of the major announcements was an additional subsidy of Rs 30,000 (Rs 10,000 per kW) for residential solar panel installations. With this, the total subsidy now stands at Rs 1.08 lakh per household — the highest ever under any such scheme. For a 1 kW solar system, Delhi residents will receive Rs 10,000 from the state government alone.
To widen the reach of this initiative, the Delhi Government launched the ‘PM Surya Ghar: Free Electricity Scheme – State Top-Up’. A budget of Rs 50 crore has been allocated for this scheme, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in 2.3 lakh homes over the next three years.
The Chief Minister also said the government will partner with financial institutions to offer easy loan options for the remaining cost of installation, estimated at around Rs 90,000.
This will enable people to set up solar panels without any upfront payment. She added that residents can save up to Rs 4,200 on their monthly electricity bills, calling the scheme a major step toward a greener Delhi.
In another significant move to combat pollution, the Cabinet approved a comprehensive sanitation and dust control plan for roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD). As part of this, the government will procure modern machines to reduce dust levels and improve air quality, especially before the winter season.
Under this plan, the following equipment will be deployed across Delhi: 250 water sprinkler machines with anti-smog guns, 70 mechanical road sweeping machine integrated with 210 water sprinkler machine and anti-smog gun, 18 dump vehicles and 18 water tankers.
These machines will be used exclusively for cleaning roads and controlling dust pollution. The Environment Department will provide funds under the “Pollution Control and Emergency Measures” scheme. The chief minister said that these efforts reflect the government’s commitment to tackle Delhi’s air pollution problem with modern solutions and timely action.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved a proposal by the Directorate of Education to restore the original name of a student scholarship scheme. The scholarship will once again be called the ‘Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Meritorious Students (LBS)’, replacing the renamed version — ‘Chief Minister Scholarship for Meritorious Students’ — introduced in 2019–20. While the name has been reverted, the existing eligibility criteria remain unchanged.