Assam Government Officials to Cover Power Bills Starting July 1, Says Himanta Sarma

The Assam Chief Minister has announced the end of the VIP Culture rule, which involved using taxpayer money to pay electricity bills for government officials. Starting from July 1, both the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary will set an example by paying their own power bills. By July 2024, all public servants will be required to pay for their own electricity consumption.

Emphasizing the state’s commitment to energy conservation, the chief minister outlined a program to automatically disconnect electricity at all government offices at 8 PM, with exceptions for the Chief Minister Secretariat, Home, and Finance Departments. This initiative has already been implemented in 8,000 government offices, schools, and institutions across the state, with the aim of reducing electricity consumption. The government aims to transition all establishments to solar power gradually, with a focus on beginning this work at Medical Colleges and Universities across the state.

During a ceremony at the state Secretariat Complex, the Assam Chief Minister launched the Janata Bhawan Solar Project, which aims to further the state’s efforts in promoting renewable energy. The project features a 2.5-MW capacity grid-connected solar PV system installed on rooftops and ground surfaces. It is expected to yield an average of 3 lakh units of electricity monthly, with the investment amount of Rs 12.56 crore projected to be recovered within 4 years and monthly savings of about Rs.

30 lakh. The launch of the solar power project has made the Assam Secretariat Complex the first-ever civil secretariat in the country to rely entirely on solar-generated electricity for daily consumption.