VIJAYAWADA: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar has urged Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to make full use of the PM Surya Ghar scheme, which is being extended free of cost by the NDA government.
Marking Jagjivan Ram Jayanti, he announced that the programme will be taken up on a large scale until Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, with a target of installing 2,000 solar connections in each Assembly constituency and a total of six lakh connections across the State.
The Energy Minister explained that solar power is a practical solution to meet rising electricity demand while benefiting the environment.
The government is offering heavy subsidies for rooftop solar panels, and households generating electricity will receive Rs 1 per unit as rental support from the government. This initiative not only reduces transmission losses but also provides financial relief to ordinary citizens, he highlighted. Ravi Kumar added that future plans include supplying free solar power to agriculture, ensuring farmers have reliable energy for irrigation.
“The NDA government is actively promoting eco-friendly energy sources such as solar, wind, pumped hydro, and battery storage,” he said. Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, the State is planning to supply nine hours of quality power daytime to farmers, with tender processes already completed. The widespread adoption of solar energy will strengthen the power supply, reduce environmental impact, he said.