Gariaband (Chhattisgarh), Oct 13 — The 'Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' is proving to be a source of relief for residents in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district. Under this scheme, solar panels have been installed at several houses in the district's Atarmara village, providing beneficiaries relief from the burden of electricity bills.
Under the PM Surya Ghar yojana, both the Central and state governments are providing subsidies to install solar panels and connect households to solar energy.
Mahendra Pratap Sinha, a resident of the village, is among those benefiting from the scheme.
Sinha said that installing solar panels has relieved him of the heavy monthly electricity bills he used to face and has also benefited his business.
Previously, he used to pay electricity bills ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 6,000 per month.
He was distressed by these recurring high bills. Consequently, he opted to install solar panels at his home under the 'Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana', which has now eased his electricity expenses.
The beneficiary installed a solar panel system with a capacity of 3 kilowatts.
Speaking to IANS, Sinha expressed that installing the solar panel under the Prime Minister's free electricity scheme has been highly beneficial for him.
He mentioned that while the total cost of the 3-kilowatt solar panel system was Rs 1.9 lakh, he received a total subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh from the Central and state governments, significantly reducing the financial burden of the installation.
The beneficiary added: "I was very troubled by the electricity bills. I have benefited greatly. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The solar panel scheme that has been implemented is excellent."
The eco-friendly measure is impacting the lives of millions in more ways than one – replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, keeping nature clean, and also empowering PM Surya Ghar beneficiaries to generate income from surplus power.
Last month, beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba, also said that their monthly electricity bills have dropped significantly after installing solar panels, leading to higher savings. They praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed gratitude for the scheme's benefits.
Beneficiary Jageshwar Chaurasia told IANS that his monthly electricity bill previously ranged from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500, but after installing solar panels, it has dropped to zero.