TIRUCHY: Delays in bank loan disbursals, supply of bidirectional meters and delay in disbursal of state subsidies to beneficiaries were among the key concerns raised by solar vendors at the 17th State-level solar vendors’ coordination and grievance redressal meeting in Tiruchy. The meeting was organised jointly by the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited, Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited and REC Limited, with the participation of power utility officials and authorised vendors.
Vendors from Tiruchy region, including Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukkottai and Dindigul, highlighted difficulties in obtaining bidirectional meters, which measure electricity drawn from the grid as well as surplus solar power exported to it. Though officials said sufficient stocks of meters were available, vendors said delays in receiving them were holding up the completion of installations.
Sujay Gangadharan, joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu Solar Business Association, flagged banking-related issues as a major challenge. G D Janarthana, a functionary of the Tiruchy solar vendors’ association, said it sometimes took a month to obtain a meter even after completing the required formalities.
Janarthana also pointed out that some beneficiaries had not received the additional subsidy announced by the state government, even a month after their rooftop solar systems were installed. Officials assured vendors that the pending amounts would be credited shortly, he said, adding that the issue had also been raised with the Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar during a recent meeting in Coimbatore.
Responding to the banking concerns, Karthigeyan Vijayakumar, Deputy Manager of REC (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation), said fortnightly review meetings were being held with 14-15 banks to address delays and ensure that loan sanctions and disbursals were completed within 15 days. “Around 3,400 applications were facing delays in the release of the second instalment of loans, partly due to communication gaps between bank systems and the scheme’s online portal,” said Karthigeyan.
Reviewing the scheme’s progress, Karthigeyan said TN had received around 1.35 lakh applications, against nearly 95 lakh nationally. The state had completed about 1.1 lakh installations, compared with 54 lakh across the country, and disbursed subsidies worth Rs 700 crore.
S Senthamarai, Superintending Engineer, Metro Tiruchy, told TNIE that Tiruchy received around 1,400 applications against a target of 3,653. Pudukkottai had 274 applications, including 65 at the service stage, against a target of 1,975. Perambalur had 305 applications, with 73 at the service stage, against 1,614, while Dindigul had 485 applications, including 92 at the service stage, against 2,749.
