A Solar Loan Mela took place in Bihar’s Nalanda district to introduce residents to the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and its advantages. District Magistrate Kundan Kumar, Deputy Development Commissioner Shubham Kumar, and Superintending Engineer Manish Kant jointly inaugurated the event. The scheme offers affordable bank loans for rooftop solar units, aiming to significantly reduce electricity expenses for households.
Officials emphasized the importance of solar systems not only in cutting electricity costs but also in contributing to nation-building and environmental conservation. District Magistrate Kundan Kumar highlighted the need for wider adoption of solar energy to support the vision of an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” He mentioned that installing a single solar unit can reduce carbon emissions equivalent to planting about 100 trees annually.
Superintending Engineer Manish Kant explained that the scheme allows individuals to be both consumers and producers of electricity. Subsidies of Rs 30,000, Rs 60,000, and Rs 78,000 are provided for 1-kilowatt, 2-kilowatt, and 3-kilowatt systems, respectively. Banks are offering loans at interest rates between 5 to 6 percent, with installation costs averaging around Rs 60,000 per kilowatt.
Loans up to Rs 2 lakh can be obtained with basic documents like identity proof, address proof, and electricity bills. During the mela, loans for 88 beneficiaries were sanctioned, and over 100 new consumers enrolled in the scheme. Solar panels will be installed at beneficiaries’ homes within a week. The administration aims to cover 2,000 non-BPL households and 10,000 BPL households in the first phase of the program.
