India, April 21 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

Addressing a session during the 18th Civil Services Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Shri Narendra Bhooshan, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development highlighted Uttar Pradesh's efforts to position itself as a leader in the renewable energy sector.

He noted that under the theme "Viksit Bharat: Citizen-Centric Governance and Last Mile Delivery," a focused session on "Accelerating India's Net Zero Path through PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana" witnessed detailed deliberations on the successful implementation of the scheme across various states.

Shri Bhooshan emphasized that the initiative is not only enhancing energy efficiency but also empowering citizens by transforming them from mere consumers of electricity into producers. He further added that this transition is gaining momentum across Uttar Pradesh, with rural households taking pride in rooftop solar installations as a symbol of empowerment.

He further noted that, in line with the Prime Minister's vision of "Don't seek jobs, create jobs," Uttar Pradesh has expanded its vendor base from 60 to 6,000. Through initiatives such as Surya Mitra training and the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yojana, youth have been provided easy access to loans and transformed into micro-vendors, significantly increasing their incomes.

Robust Ecosystem and Monitoring

The scheme has been integrated into the Chief Minister's Dashboard, enabling daily monitoring at the highest level. At the district level, a healthy competitive environment has been fostered under the leadership of young officers.

Urban and Rural Success

Lucknow has emerged as the leading city in the country with approximately 90,000 installations, followed by Varanasi with around 40,000 installations. The scheme has also been effectively implemented in rural and aspirational districts.

Addressing Challenges

To overcome supply chain bottlenecks, coordinated efforts were made with leading solar energy companies and banks to ensure uninterrupted progress of the scheme.

In his concluding remarks, Shri Bhooshan stated that achieving the net zero target requires not only increasing demand but also strengthening supply-side capacity and adopting a citizen-centric approach, which are key to the success of the scheme.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.