The union power minister has launched the Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) Gram Ujala scheme that seeks to distribute LED bulbs at a cost of Rs 10 per bulb in the rural areas of Varanasi. …
Under the first phase of the Gram Ujala programme, 15 million LED bulbs will be distributed to facilitate energy savings of 2,025 million units per year and CO2 reductions at 1.65 million tonnes per year. Under the programme, 7 watt and 12 watt LED bulbs with 3 years warranty will be given to rural consumers against submission of working incandescent bulbs. In addition, the programme will be implemented only in villages of the five districts where consumers can exchange a maximum of 5 LED bulbs. These houses will also have meters installed in their houses to monitor numbers of hours of usage. So far, 360 million LED bulbs have been distributed and 11.5 million streetlights have been replaced with LED lights across the country. The new scheme has crossed 6,150 distribution mark in Arrah in Bihar within two days of launch.