PM Surya Ghar: UPNEDA Earmarks Rs 2cr On Awareness

Rajasthan's Struggles with the PM Surya Ghar Scheme

In a bid to create awareness on rooftop solar through PM Surya Ghar scheme, the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Developemnt Agency (UPNEDA) has earmarked Rs 2 crore. This budget is set to be used for planning, strategy and implementation of IEC ((Information, Education and Communication) activities in cities like Ayodhya, Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

This comes at a time when the adoption of rooftop solar in the state had been slow. As per the latest information from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the state currently has a total rooftop solar capacity of around 265 MW. The state nodal agency has also been given a target of 25 lakh households for rooftop solar under the ambitious PM Surya Ghar scheme. This scheme bats for adding rooftop solar in one crore households. The central scheme has also increased the subsidies under the scheme, especially meant for the residential rooftop segment.

UPNEDA recently also issued a tender in this regard to selected players who can undertake this work and subsequently increase the adoption of rooftop solar in the state.

What the tender talks about?

The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) wants to accelerate the adoption of PM: Surya Ghar Rooftop Solar Yojana in Uttar Pradesh by increasing public awareness through this initiative. To promote the rooftop solar scheme and to raise awareness, the government has allocated a budget of Rs 2 crore for the above-mentioned districts. The allocated fund would be spent on the promotion and awareness of the scheme under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and related subsidies. The last date for bid submission is 05 August, 2024. 

Who can bid for the tender?

On the eligibility criteria, the tender document states, the bidder should have “At least one member with at least 07 years of experience in field of Marketing or Managing IEC activities or both specifically related to renewable energy industry, climate change projects or other similar projects along with basic knowledge of solar rooftop Systems, to be considered as Team Leader.”

What does the tender entail?

For reaching the masses, the planned IEC activities are required to be carried out on a large scale which will comprise displaying of banners, installation of billboard banners at strategic locations, setup of booth Camps, pamphlet distributions along with events and activities to be performed at universities, colleges and schools, advertisements in newspapers in three districts – Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi.

Rooftop enters mission mode in UP 

The UP government has been focusing on Ayodhya and Varanasi to achieve its solar rooftop targets. Earlier in 2024, Varanasi launched an ambitious campaign to install solar rooftops in 25,000 households in Varanasi city. 

In 2020, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced that Ayodhya will be developed as a model solar city as the holy town is fast emerging as a hub for religious tourism attracting people from all over the world. The state government even allocated Rs 317 crore and an area of about 500 acres in the state budget, 2022.