Raj Kumar Singh, the Power, and new and renewable energy minister has launched the Gram Ujala scheme in Varanasi on March 24. The scheme will provide the world’s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas at the price of just Rs 10.
Key Points
- Gram Ujala scheme is entirely financed through carbon credits.
- The scheme will claim carbon credits under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
- Under the scheme, the incandescent and CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs of the rural consumer will be taken back.
- This program will boost rural employment and local economies.
- It will have a great potential to uplift India’s villages & contribute to climate change mitigation.
- The first phase of the scheme, which comes with no government support or subsidy, was launched from Arrah in Bihar.
- In the first phase, 15 million LED bulbs will be distributed across villages of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Arrah (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Vijaywada (Andhra Pradesh), and western Gujarat.
- This scheme is designed particularly for rural homes and it will also result in energy savings as a 12 Watt LED bulb gives equivalent light as of 100-watt incandescent bulb.
- The bulbs are offered by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) which is a subsidiary of the state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.
Under the first phase of the GRAM UJALA mission, 1 crore 50 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed. This will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million kWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million T CO2/year. The mission will enable better illumination, at an affordable price of Rs 10/bulb.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024