About 2.72 lakh solar street lights were installed under two phases of the Atal Jyoti Yojana, stated R.K. Singh, the Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha during the winter session of the parliament. Delving into the details, the written reply stated that 1.35 Solar street lights were installed in the first phase, while 1.37 lakh street lights were installed in the second phase.
Implementation of Atal Jyoti Yojana
Against the target set of 1.45 lakh street lights, 1.35 lakh street lights were installed by the DMs of the respective areas. After the first phase, the scheme was extended to the second phase, spanning till January 2021. However, the funding for the scheme was discontinued for the Financial Year 2020-21 and 2021-22, with effect from April 2020 in the wake of COVID-19.
Financing of the Scheme
Later on, the scheme was extended to June 2022, in which 1.37 lakh solar streetlights were installed. The scheme is 75 per cent funded by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, while the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Funds (MPLADS) provide 25 per cent. According to the old reports, the estimated cost of one solar street light is about Rs 25,000.