Power on the rooftops

The scheme must address structural problems too

The Union Cabinet’s approval last week for the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore has the potential to change the dynamics of access to electricity and the country’s climate-change commitment. Under the scheme, the government will provide central assistance of up to 60 per cent of systems cost for 2 Kw systems and 40 per cent of additional cost for systems between 2 Kw and 3 Kw, the latter being the upper limit for assistance. Beneficiaries of the scheme, which is expected to cover 10 million households, will get up to 300