AC enhances subsidy for urban poor under PMAY (U) to Rs 70,326

Jammu, Dec 26: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha gave its approval to the enhancement of J&K subsidy from the present Rs 16,666 to Rs 70,326 for eligible Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC) beneficiaries of PMAY (U) in lieu of Interest-Free Loan (IFL) scheme.

The AC also gave its approval to solarisation of 4000 existing individual grid-connected agriculture pumps under Component-C of Pradhan Mantri Kissan Urja Suraksha Evam Uthaan Mahaabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme having the Grid Connected Solar Power Plant capacity in the range of 1kW to 15kW.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the beneficiaries under the PMAY (U) scheme include identified BLC beneficiaries of PMAY (U) who on the date of issuance of the allied government order had not completed their dwelling units.

This step is slated to benefit presently 26419 households in the preliminary stage.

The proposal aims to provide additional financial assistance to identified beneficiaries of PMAY (U) under the BLC vertical which will help them in the completion of the construction of their houses within the mission period of December 2024.

In J&K, beneficiaries face challenges in contributing to the larger house construction component and this decision has been taken to facilitate the beneficiaries in the completion of their houses with enhanced assistance.

Under the PM-KUSUM scheme the farmers would be able to use the generated solar power to meet their irrigation needs and the excess solar power would be sold to Distribution companies (DISCOMs).

The DISCOMS in turn have to make payment to the farmers for the export of unused power to the grid as per the tariff determined by JKSERC.

The solarisation of agriculture pumps besides curbing pollution will provide the farmers with a reliable source of irrigation through solar energy-driven pumps and prevent the revenue losses incurred by the DISCOMs on account of energising the electrical irrigation pumps at subsidised energy tariff of Rs 0.66 per unit against an average power purchase tariff of Rs 3.50 per unit.

Advisor to LG Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and Principal Secretary to LG Mandeep Kumar Bhandari also attended the meeting.