The government has been quite vocal about adoption of LED bulbs in the country and under its scheme titled UnnatJyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA), the government is distributing LED bulbs in the price range of Rs 75 to Rs 95 in 16 states. The project is executed by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power. The company procures best quality LED bulbs from leading manufacturers through a bidding process and the lowest bid that the government recieved was Rs 54.90 (exclusive of taxes and administrative costs).
In fact, today the chief minister of Gujarat is launching the UJALA scheme in their state. The UJALA scheme is one of the best running schemes in the country and till date EESL has distributed over 10.77 crore LED bulbs across India and the programme have led to significant savings to the state and consumers who are using these bulbs.
Moreover, in Karnataka, the government has introduced EMI schemes so that people from villages can buy a LED bulb by upfront payment of only Rs 10. There are numerous initiatives like this, which are being taken to ensure that consumers understand the value of using LEDs.
By Atanu Kumar Das
