Centre launches Gram Ujala program; 1.5 crores LED bulbs to be sold at Rs 10 in rural areas
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New Delhi, March 20: Union power and new and renewable energy minister, Raj Kumar Singh on Friday, launched the “Gram Ujala Scheme” on March 19, 2021, to provide the cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas.
While speaking at the event the Power Minister said that our rural population was still unable to afford discounted LEDs. This is why we have now created GRAM UJALA – a customized program for rural India, based uniquely and innovatively on carbon finance.
According to the ministries statement, around 1.5 crores LED bulbs will be sold in rural areas at a price of ₹10 as part of the first phase of the Gram Ujala program launched on Friday by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. In the first phase, the scheme was launched from Arrah district in Bihar.
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The scheme proposes distributing some 600 million LED at rupees 10 in the rural areas. It will be financed entirely through the carbon credits which will be claimed under the “United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)”.
Under this, around high-efficiency 7-watt and 12-watt 15 million LED bulbs with 3 years warranty will be distributed in the villages of Arrah (Bihar), Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and western Gujarat. These rural households will also have meters installed in their houses to account for usage. Further on, carbon credit documentation will be sent to UN-accredited validators for inclusion into the Shine Program of activities.
Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power said that this is a very important initiative based on an innovative model utilising Carbon Credits. Gram Ujala will not only give a fillip to our fight against climate change by increasing energy efficiency, but also usher in a better standard of life, financial savings, and better safety for the citizens in rural areas.
Gram Ujala Scheme is an ambitious scheme that offers the world’s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas. This scheme also proposes to take back the incandescent and compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs of the rural consumers. After submitting the bulbs, the consumers will get 7 watts and 12-watt LED bulbs with three years warranty.