Patna: Bihar has surpassed its target under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, with 4.03 lakh consumers opting for rooftop solar installations against the initial target of 2.5 lakh, chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit said while reviewing the scheme’s implementation on Monday.At a high-level meeting, Amrit also directed officials to issue over 11 lakh new ration cards by Aug 13 and complete TB screening of the remaining population under the state’s TB-free Bihar campaign by Aug 14.Amrit noted that names of 55,350 additional beneficiaries have been uploaded on the Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) portal. “The scheme is being implemented through the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model, under which private developers install, own and maintain rooftop solar systems while making their own investments,” he said.Amrit reviewed the implementation of the scheme along with progress in the public distribution system (PDS) and the state’s TB-free Bihar campaign.On the health front, officials informed the meeting that TB screening of 16 lakh people had been completed against the target of one crore. The chief secretary asked departments concerned to ensure screening of the remaining target population by Aug 14.Taking serious note of alleged lapses and violations by some RESCO developers involved in the solar scheme, Amrit ordered strict action and directed officials to issue show-cause notices to the firms concerned.“The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is one of the Prime Minister’s ambitious projects. Bihar is committed to implementing it within the stipulated timeframe with complete transparency. Neither laxity nor compromise with quality will be tolerated,” he said.
