Under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, launched earlier this year, Lucknow has emerged as the frontrunner by installing the highest number of rooftop solar panels in Uttar Pradesh in just seven months. Following closely are Varanasi, Kanpur, Agra, and Kanpur Nagar, which make up the top five districts in that order. The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath  himself is closely monitoring the progress of this scheme.

 The initiative to permanently resolve the issue of electricity availability in the country through solar energy and provide nearly free power to the public is making rapid strides in the state  with the CM setting  district-specific targets for all 75 districts to install solar rooftop panels on residential buildings.

Officials here on Friday said that recently, Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh conducted a review of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana. During the review, it was reported that 11,435 solar rooftop panels have been made operational in Lucknow, the highest in the state. Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ranks second with 4,088 installations. In Kanpur, 1,909 panels have been installed, while Agra and Prayagraj have seen 1,364 and 1,349 installations, respectively.  The campaign is being accelerated in other districts as well, with the Chief Secretary directing the Electricity Department to expedite the work.

 Sources said over 17.75 lakh registrations have been completed in the  state under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana so far, with solar rooftop panels installed on more than 32,000 homes. Under this scheme, a subsidy of Rs 30,000 is provided by the Central Government and another Rs 15,000 by the State Government, totaling Rs 45,000 for a 1-kilowatt rooftop installation. Similarly, for a 2-kilowatt installation, a combined subsidy of Rs 90,000 is available, with Rs 60,000 from the Center and Rs 30,000 from the State. For installations of 3 kilowatts and above, a total subsidy of Rs 1.08 lakh is provided, comprising Rs 78,000 from the Central Government and Rs 30,000 from the State.

 Launched by Mr Modi on February 15, 2024, the PM Surya Ghar Yojana aims to harness solar energy by installing rooftop panels on one crore homes across the country by 2027. UP has set an ambitious target to install solar panels on 25 lakh homes in the state. To achieve this, specific targets have been assigned to all seven DISCOMs and each district.

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