Lok Sabha Question No. 5122 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Promotion of Solar Energy in North Eastern Region
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Joyanta Basumatary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5122

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## PROMOTION OF SOLAR ENERGY IN NORTH EASTERN REGION

## 5122. SHRI JOYANTA BASUMATARY

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has introduced any schemes to promote solar energy in the North Eastern Region and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the number of schools provided with solar energy systems in the North Eastern Region, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government is considering any financial incentives to increase uptake of solar energy systems of schools in the said region and if so, the details thereof; and (d) whether the Government is considering extending solar panel subsidy for residential installations to include schools and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) The Ministry is implementing various schemes for promotion of solar energy in the country including in the North East region. The detail of these schemes is given as Annexure I.

A total of 3422 schools are reported to have installed solar energy systems in North East region. State-wise detail is given as Annexure II.

- (c)  &  (d)  The  New  Solar  Power  Scheme  (for  Tribal  and  PVTG  Habitations/Villages)  has provision for solarisation of 2000 public institutions including schools, through off-grid solar systems, where electricity supply through grid is not techno-economically feasible. The detail of the scheme is available at Annexure-I.

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Annexure- I referred to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 5122 By Shri Joyanta Basumatary,  to  be  answered  on  02.04.2025  on  ' Promotion  of  Solar  Energy  in  North  Eastern Region'

## Detail of the major ongoing schemes to promote solar energy in the North East region

## (i) PM-KUSUM Scheme:

PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme is a flagship program to promote small Grid-Connected Solar Power Plants (Component A), installation of standalone  solar-powered  agricultural  pumps  (Component B)  and  solarisation  of  existing  grid-connected agricultural pumps including feeder-level solarisation (Component C).

## For the North Eastern States the CFA/incentives are as follows : -

- i. Under Component A: Procurement Based Incentives (PBI) @ Rs. 0.40 per unit for five years will  be  provided  to  DISCOMs  for  setting  up  of  Decentralized  Ground/Stilt  Mounted  Solar Power Plants on barren/fallow/pasture/marshy land of farmers. Such plants can be installed by individual  farmer,  Solar  Power  Developer, Cooperatives, Panchayats  and  Farmers  Producer Organisations.  The  PBI  is  given  to  the  DISCOMs  for  a  period  of  five  years  from  the Commercial Operation Date of the plant. Therefore, the total PBI that payable to DISCOMs is upto Rs. 33 Lakh per MW
- ii. CFA is provided for all the individual farmers installing/solarising the agriculture pumps in NER/Hilly/Islands up to 7.5HP capacity under both the Component-B and Component-C and are provided with Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of 50% of the benchmark cost or the tender cost, whichever is lower. Further, the CFA will be available for pump capacity up to 15 HP, however, it will be restricted to 10% of total installations in the state.
- iii. Under Feeder Level Solarisation under component C, CFA is calculated considering the cost of  the  solar  power  plant  as  Rs.  3.5  Crore/  MW.  Therefore,  the  CFA  of  1.75cr/MW  can  be provided to States.

## (ii) PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana:

Rooftop solar projects in residential sector are being supported under the Scheme. The scheme provides central financial assistance (CFA) of 60% of project benchmark costs for rooftop solar for 1 kW and 2 kW systems and additional 40% of project benchmark costs for the 3rd kW system. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW. Details of CFA amount is as follows:

|   S. No. | Type of Residential Segment                                               | CFA in NER        |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|        1 | Residential Sector (first 2kW p )                                         | Rs 33,000/kWp     |
|        2 | Residential Sector (additional 1 kW p )                                   | Rs 19,800/kWp     |
|        3 | Residential Sector (above 3 kWp)                                          | No additional CFA |
|        4 | GHS/RWA etc, for common facilities for up to 500 kW p (@3 kW p per house) | Rs 19,800/kWp     |

In addition, support is also available as incentives to DISCOMs/Local Bodies, development of Model Solar  Village,  innovative  projects,  payment  security  mechanism,  capacity  building,  awareness  and outreach, etc.

## (iii) Solar Park:

Under the Solar Park Scheme support is provided for preparation of DPR (upto Rs. 25 lakh per Solar Park) and development of infrastructure (up to 20 Lakh per MW or 30% of the project cost, whichever is lower).

## (iv) New Solar Power Scheme (for Tribal and PVTG Habitations/Villages) under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan ( DA JGUA):

The Scheme will cover electrification of One Lakh un-electrified households (HHs) in Tribal and PVTG areas  identified  by  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  (MoTA)  by  provision  of  off-grid  solar  systems.  The scheme includes a provision for providing off-grid solar lighting in 1500 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) in PVTG areas as approved under PM JANMAN. Similarly, the scheme also includes provision for solarisation of 2000 public institutions through off-grid solar systems as approved under DA JGUA. The off-grid solar systems shall be provided only where electricity supply through grid is not technoeconomically feasible.  The  financial  outlay  approved for  the scheme  under  PM  JANMAN  and  DA JGUA is given below:

|   S. No. | Components                                                                 | Central Share (100%)                    | Approved Financial Outlay (in Rs. Crore)   | Timeline                 |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
|        1 | Provision of 0.3 kW Solar offgrid system for 1 lakh Tribal and PVTG HHs    | Rs. 50,000 per HH or as per actual cost | 500                                        | FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26 |
|        2 | Solar street lighting and provision of lighting in 1500 MPCs of PVTG areas | Rs. 1 lakh per MPC 15                   |                                            | FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29 |
|        3 | Solarisation of 2000 public institutions through off-grid solar systems    | Rs 1 lakh per kW                        | 400                                        |                          |

Annexure- II referred to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 5122 By Shri Joyanta Basumatary,  to  be  answered  on  02.04.2025  on  ' Promotion  of  Solar  Energy  in  North  Eastern Region'

Detail of schools reported to have installed solar energy systems in North East region

| Sr. No.   | State             |   Number of Schools |
|-----------|-------------------|---------------------|
| 1         | Arunachal Pradesh |                   3 |
| 2         | Assam             |                2319 |
| 3         | Manipur           |                  51 |
| 4         | Mizoram           |                  25 |
| 5         | Meghalaya         |                 633 |
| 6         | Nagaland          |                 355 |
| 7         | Sikkim            |                  36 |
| Total     | Total             |                3422 |