Govt to focus on popularising rooftop solarisation, free electricity: Sitharaman

Chennai, Feb 1 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that in an attempt to turn households into power generating units, the central government will focus on popularising rooftop solarisation and free electricity.

“One crore households will be able to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity per month,” Sitharaman said while presenting the Interim Budget in Lok Sabha.

She said that households will save up to Rs 15,000- Rs 18,000 from free solar power and selling to power distribution companies.

She said the scheme follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement that the government will launch Pradhanmantri Surydaya Yojana with the target of installing rooftop solar on 1 crore houses.

“This will not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle class but will also make India self-reliant in the field of energy, PM Modi had said on January 22 on the historic day of Pran Prathishta of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” the Finance Minister said.