Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has appealed to adopt rooftop solar panels and to use 5 star rated electrical equipments, stating that it will not only reduce their electricity bill but also will make Delhi clean and beautiful. The CM attached the appeal letter with electricity bills of Delhi residents.

The initiative for energy efficiency aligns with the government’s push for 24x7 power supply, particularly from renewable sources. A state-level extension of the same scheme was aimed to cover 230,000 rooftops with solar panels in Delhi over the next three year.

“With the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Free Electricity Scheme from the Central Government and Delhi Government’s capital subsidy and Generation-Based Incentive (GBI) for 5 years, installing rooftop solar has now become more affordable than ever. Banks are also providing loans on easy terms of up to ten years at an interest rate of 6.50-7 per cent. This has

made installing rooftop solar even more practical,” the Chief Minister said

while writing a letter addressing the Delhi residents.

The letter further said that if installed a 3 kW solar plant, its estimated cost will be Rs two lakh in which the government will provide a subsidy of about Rs 1,08,000 and the consumer will bear an amount of Rs 92,000. If a consumer’s monthly electricity consumption is 500 units, he can get absolutely zero electricity bills by installing a 3 KW solar plant.

This will result in monthly savings of about Rs 2,904-Rs 3,282 and will also provide about Rs 900 monthly GBI for 5 years.

“I appeal to all Delhiites to adopt rooftop solar and energy-efficient appliances and make smart and eco-sensitive decisions in their homes. These small steps will not only reduce your electricity bills but will also make Delhi clean and beautiful,” the letter concluded.

The newly formed BJP government in Delhi, while presenting its maiden budget in March, had announced a state-level extension of the PM Surya Ghar:

Government to survey cow shelters

Aiming to address the issue of bovines straying on the roads of the national capital, the Delhi Government will survey cow shelters and frame a scheme to extend financial support for the smooth operation of such facilities.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the measures at a public gathering at Gramin Gaushala in Bawana and stressed that she, her ministers and the BJP MLAs consider the cow as a mother figure (“Gau mata”).

“It is a matter of great pain for us to see the plight of cows roaming on the roads and sometimes encountering accidents. The lies with those who just let them wander for food after getting milked,” she said.

Reminding the cattle owners that such animals were not allowed within the city limits, she suggested the bovines be housed at designated places like Ghoga Dairy, around 50 kilometres from Central Delhi.

“It is unbearable to see even a single cow wandering on the roads. The government as well as philanthropists in the society are there to ensure facilities like fodder and shelter for the cows,” CM Gupta said.

The Chief Minister said her government would conduct a survey of all cow shelters in Delhi and a scheme would be drawn to provide financial assistance for the facilities to care for the cows in a holistic manner. It is the government’s duty to take care of the old and ill cows wandering on roads after being abandoned and the dispensation is committed to fulfill its duty, Gupta added.

In its maiden budget session after coming to power in Delhi, the BJP government last month announced bringing a law for the conservation and protection of stray cows in the city.

The proposed legislation would include strict enforcement mechanisms to curb cow exploitation, illegal cattle trade, and owners’ negligence.

The government has also been planning new cow shelters and made budgetary provisions for their construction and maintenance. Several BJP MLAs have repeatedly raised the issue of stray cows causing traffic congestion, sanitation hazards and more often than not accidents.

According to data provided in the assembly by Model Town MLA Ashok Goel, police received 25,393 stray crow-related complaints between January 1 and February 19 this year, primarily the bovines causing traffic congestion and accidents.