Amaravati, Aug 6 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the leading states in implementing the Centre’s PMSGMBY, with over 4 lakh rooftop solar systems covered under the scheme so far, an official said on Thursday.
Special Chief Secretary (Energy) K Vijayanand reviewed the implementation of the scheme through a video conference with chairpersons and managing directors of the three DISCOMs, senior Energy Department officials and other stakeholders.
He directed officials to accelerate rooftop solar installations, promote clean energy adoption and ensure timely disbursal of Central Financial Assistance to eligible beneficiaries.
“Andhra Pradesh has secured a place among the top four states in the country under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. We should maintain the same momentum and strive to become the best-performing state by ensuring timely completion of installations and prompt release of Central Financial Assistance,” Vijayanand said in a press release.
As of August 4, over 4 lakh rooftop solar systems had been covered under the scheme, with nearly 3 lakh uploaded on the National Portal and around 1.4 lakh installed under the SC/ST Utility-Led Aggregation Model awaiting portal uploads.
Under the SC/ST ULA model, Andhra Pradesh has targeted installation of nearly 6 lakh rooftop solar systems with a cumulative capacity of about 1,198 MW.
Materials have been supplied for over 3 lakh systems, while around 2.2 lakh installations have been completed so far, the release said.
Among the DISCOMs, Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited has recorded the highest progress at 47 per cent, followed by Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Corporation Limited (35 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (32 per cent), Vijayanand said, directing the utilities to substantially step up daily installations to meet targets within the stipulated timeframe.
Reviewing the gap between physical installations and portal updates, he noted that although over 2.2 lakh installations had been completed on the ground, only around 94,000 systems had been uploaded to the National Portal.
Another over 1.1 lakh installations were pending vendor uploads, while nearly 21,000 cases were awaiting consumer OTP verification.
He directed Engineering, Procurement and Construction agencies to upload installation details within 24 hours of completion, and instructed DISCOMs to conduct daily reviews to expedite consumer verification, portal synchronisation, subsidy processing and release of financial assistance.
He noted encouraging progress under the Consumer-Led CAPEX Model, with a large number of consumers registering through the National Portal, and directed officials to intensify awareness campaigns and expedite inspections, grounding approvals and service connections to expand the programme further.
Vijayanand instructed officials to complete all pending inspections within seven days, resolve portal discrepancies within 15 days, maintain adequate stocks of meters and other essential materials, set up 24×7 Solar Cells at corporate and divisional offices, and reassign work from underperforming vendors to better-performing agencies wherever necessary.
Highlighting the importance of affordable financing, he said easy access to low-cost loans was critical for accelerating rooftop solar adoption, and directed DISCOMs to strengthen coordination with district collectors, lead banks and financial institutions to ensure eligible consumers could readily avail themselves of solar loans.
The meeting also reviewed the proposed Utility-Led Aggregation Model for Backward Classes, under which the state government proposes to provide a one-time subsidy of Rs 20,000 for every 2 kW rooftop solar system.
After accounting for Central and state subsidies, the balance project cost will be mobilised by the DISCOMs, while beneficiaries will repay their share through affordable monthly instalments before ownership of the solar system is transferred to them.
Vijayanand directed officials to expedite beneficiary identification, preparation of the Detailed Project Report, and approvals from the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to ensure timely rollout of the scheme. PTI MS SSK
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