Free LED bulbs to electricity consumers in Odisha by State government
After Centre provided LED bulbs at subsidised prices to electricity consumers across the country, the Odisha government is all set to woo households with free distribution of LED bulbs ahead of 2019 polls.
The bulbs will be distributed under the new scheme ‘Ama Ghare LED light’ announced by the state while presenting annual budget 2018-19. The state government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 125 crore for the new scheme.
The LED bulbs will be distributed to around 96 lakh households under the new scheme. The beneficiaries with having single phase electricity connection at houses will avail four LED bulbs each.
Sources close to the development said that the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) will purchase 9 watt-3.84 crore LED bulbs at investment of Rs 237 crore (revised estimate against Rs 248 crore) by inviting a tender after getting nod from the CM.
With execution of the proposed scheme, the power consumption will be reduced benefitting both the consumers and the government, source said. Flight services from Bhubaneswar to Kochi and Guwahati from Nov 28
The government is planning to distribute free LED bulbs under PDS system within six months. The distribution process is expected to begin within a month ahead of the forthcoming general and Lok Sabha elections in the State.
Notably, Centre has been offering affordable 9-watt LED bulbs to the electricity consumers under Ujala Yojana with an aim to switch the usage of over 200 million incandescent light bulbs into LED bulbs to save power of 10.5 billion KWH in the country. The scheme has brought both the State and central governments to work together to promote the usage of efficient light bulbs and to preserve the environment.
