The ambitious incentive scheme of the civic body to encourage Amdavadis to install for rooftop solar panels has fallen flat on its face.
Till date, just 50 citizens have applied for the rebate scheme and none of these applications have been cleared by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The scheme was only open to bungalows, row houses and duplexes.
In the municipal budget of 2022-23, the AMC had announced its Solar Rooftop Incentive Scheme under which a 10% property tax rebate was to be given for dwellings with rooftop solar panels, while a three per cent rebate was to be given to educational institutions. Now, the annual property tax bills for all properties have been generated and not a single property owner has been a beneficiary of the scheme.
Five years ago in 2017, the state government made provisions for rooftop solar panel installation for plotted housing, group housing, industrial, commercial and institutional buildings across Gujarat.
The same year, the state government announced the comprehensive general development control regulations (GDCR) in which there were provisions for rooftop energy installation of 1kW. Back then, the AMC had not announced schemes to encourage citizens to install solar panels.
Senior AMC officials say the major reason for avoiding the scheme is the process involved in applying. “A 10% rebate, which is a few hundred rupees, against which there is a tonne of paperwork for the scheme is a major discouragement,” said an AMC official.
Citizens must produce a tax invoice for the purchase of the solar panels, copy of the electricity bill from prior to solar panel installation, records from the power company providing electricity in Ahmedabad city, a copy of the report of the solar meter installation which is to be procured from Uttar Gujarat Vij Company, a copy of the report of joint inspection by the discom and an empanelled agency, photographs of the installation site, and a certificate from the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) if it is an educational institution.
“Arrangements have been made to implement the Solar Rooftop Incentive Scheme and those who apply will be given the benefits,” said Jainik Vakil, chairman of the AMC revenue committee.
