Mangaluru: Urging people not to be dependent on the government for freebies, Union Minister for Renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi said that citizens have to focus on producing their own solar power.

Union Minister Joshi made these remarks at a consultative meeting with the consumers, electricity supply company (ESCOM) officials, and people’s representatives to discuss Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana here on Thursday.

“I will not comment on what the motives were behind the distribution of free power generated using environmentally harmful core sector material. But sustainability in the power sector is going to be the key to a safer future for the country,” said Joshi, who is also the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

What is Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

According to the minister, Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2024, aims to provide free electricity to households in India by providing a subsidy to install solar panels on their roofs. The subsidy will cover up to 40 percent of the cost of the solar panels.

He said with the free schemes involving non-renewable sources, somebody still has to pay a price.

“In this bargain, so many short cuts will have to be taken by the implementation bodies in the form of cutting production costs, thereby becoming unproductive and ending up sick,” said Joshi.

Remembering the time he was a coal minister, Joshi said the cost being paid is enormous for what is being distributed as “free”.

“I remember the statistics: 2.5 lakh tonnes of coal were being mined at enormous cost and environmental degradation, transported to the thermal power producers, and the process of producing thermal power involved a very high cost,” Joshi added.

Joshi also said the other renewable energy sources the government was looking at for development in the future, tidal, wind, and geothermal power are on the anvil.

 

(With inputs from PTI)