Punjab on power-save mode,to give CFLs at subsidised rates

According to sources,the corporation will also get carbon credits from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency,Government of India,for implementing the scheme before June this year,which amounts to about 7 per cent of the total power saved.

The corporation signed an agreement with the Energy Efficiency Services Limited,a Government of India undertaking,on Wednesday for distribution of CFLs in seven circles of Gurdaspur,Hoshiarpur,Nawanshahr,Ludhiana Suburban,Khanna,Sangrur and Faridkot. The Energy Efficiency Services has agreed to implement the scheme by June.

The agreement was signed by H C Bedi,Deputy Chief Engineer,Energy Conservation,PSPCL,and Vandana,Assistant Energy Economist,Bachat Lamp Yojna of Bureau of Energy Efficiency,and Aseem Jain,Assistant General Manager,Energy Efficiency Services Limited,in the presence of PSPCL Chairman and Managing Director K D Chaudhri.

Chaudhri said each consumer would be given four CFL bulbs each in place of their incandescent lamps. Consumers bringing 100 watt incandescent lamps,in working condition,will be given 18W to 22W CFLs and those who return 60W incandescent lamps will be given 11W to 14W CFLs.

Chaudhri said the company was providing a one-year warranty on the CFLs and consumers could get their bulbs replaced free of cost if these failed to meet the warranty. He said PSPCL had also signed similar agreements with C-Quest of Malaysia for five circles of Amritsar City and Suburban,Jalandhar,Kapurthala and Tarn Taran. A final agreement is yet to be signed.

Punjab is following in the footsteps of Himachal Pradesh,which was the first one in the region to implement the Bachat Lamp Yojana scheme.