KORAPUT: Short supply of LED bulbs under Ujala scheme has irked hundreds of consumers in four tribal-dominated districts. They alleged that though 70,000 LED bulbs, tube lights and energy efficient fans have been damaged, those are yet to be replaced under the scheme by the authorised agency.
Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All (UJALA) is the Union Government’s pan-India programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to promote the use of efficient lighting technology at affordable rates by consumers. The Centre intends to reduce energy consumption in lighting to help power distribution companies manage peak demand. The programme is being implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Power Ministry, in collaboration with various power distribution companies across the country.
The 9-watt LED bulbs available under the Ujala scheme are priced at Rs 70 per unit across the country, while the 20-watt LED tubelights and the 5-star rated energy-efficient fans are priced at Rs 220 and Rs 1,200 per unit respectively. The consumers alleged that the company had stressed on distributing the 9-watt LED bulbs than other items like tubelights and energy efficient fans. Though there is a provision of three years’ warranty for each product, the authorised distribution agency is yet to replace the damaged products. They also said the products were sold in a haphazard manner to the consumers without authentic bills, while the agencies have stopped their services after the agreement term was over.
Poor supply of blubs by the EESL has also affected the implementation of the programme. As a result, around 70,000 defunct LED bulbs and other products are with consumers for replacement. As per reports, 2,08,000 LED bulbs have been distributed in Koraput, 1,18,000 in Nabarangpur, 1,96,000 in Rayagada and 50,000 in Malkangiri.
In-charge of EESL-Odisha Susil Kumar said due to huge demand across the country, supply to the State has been reduced. New tender will be floated soon to engage distribution agencies in Koraput district to regularise customer service. However, no agency is interested to participate in the tender for Maoist-prone Malkangiri, he added.
