Price of energy-efficient LED bulbs has dropped to Rs 50 from previous Rs 350 following government intervention, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he targeted saving Rs 1.25 lakh crore in energy cost through installation of 77 crore such lighting devices.
Delivering his third Independence Day address at the Red Fort, he exclaimed that the light-emitting diode (LED) lights not just save electricity but also reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to the environment and the economy.
So far, the government has distributed more than 13 crore LED bulbs, and is aiming to distribute more than 70 crore bulbs through bulk orders within the next three years.
Under the Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP), the government procures LED bulbs through competitive bidding and provides the bulbs to consumers at competitive rates. This has led to bringing down of cost of LED lights.
Modi declared that so far 13 crore LED lights have been distributed. He also mentioned that the government would have been welcomed by people if it would have utilized the popular style of giving Rs 300 as subsidy from the treasury.But through its interferance,thousands of crores of rupees in energy cost as well as price of LED bulbs have been saved.
If the 77 crore incandescent bulbs sold in Indian households were switched to LEDs, the country could save 20,000 megawatt (25 billion KWh or units) of energy per year worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore,he notified. He requested the citizens to switch to LED bulbs and save Rs 250-500 in electricity bill.
Under the scheme, LED bulbs are procured through a process of competitive bidding and then resold at low prices.
According to a government report the use of LEDs for public lighting and in homes could potentially save 20,000 megawatts of electricity. It costs Rs. 1.25 lakh crores to generate the same amount of energy.
By Baishakhi Dutta
