Assam Secretariat becomes India’s first eco-friendly State Govt headquarters; ending VIP culture, officials to pay electricity bills from July 1
Ending ‘VIP culture’, government officials will pay electricity bills from July 1, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
The Assam Secretariat on June 16 became the country's first green State Government headquarters with the inauguration of a 2.5 MW solar power project on its campus, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Installed at a cost of ₹12.5 crore, the grid-connected rooftop solar power plant will save ₹30 lakh in electricity bills every month, he said while addressing the official programme here.
"Today, we took a giant leap forward in our goal to become a Net-Zero Govt, as I inaugurated a 2.5 MW Solar Project in Janata Bhawan, making #AssamGreenSecretariat, India's first Green Secretariat," Mr. Sarma said in a post on X after the function.
From now onwards, the secretariat complex will run entirely on solar power, resulting in savings of ₹30 lakh every month on electricity bills, he added.
The Chief Minister also said the government has decided that all official complexes will be fitted with solar panels, beginning with the medical colleges and universities across the State.
The power installations at all government offices will have automatic disconnection facilities at 8-9 p.m., except home, finance and CM secretariat, he added.
‘Govt officials will pay electricity bills from July 1’
"So far, the electricity bills of all ministers, senior officials and other staff staying at official quarters were being paid by the government. This 75-year-old practice will stop in July. We will pay our bills on our own," Mr. Sarma said.
After implementing all these steps, which will result in saving of cost and power both, the State-run Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd. (APDCL) will explore the possibility of reducing power tariff by Re 1 from April 1, 2025 to provide relief to consumers, he added.
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