The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : Sops for installing solar equipment ruled out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 06, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Sops for installing solar equipment ruled out

Staff Reporter

Builders forum says it would be forced to burden the consumers

VIJAYAWADA: Builders in the city have demanded that the Non-Conventional Energy Resources Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP) announce some concession either by reducing the cost of the solar water heating equipment or offer subsidy in power tariff on the lines of neighbouring Karnataka.

The builders, on Thursday, explained to the vice-chairman and managing director of the NEDCAP, S.E. Sekhar Babu, that it would be an additional burden of Rs. 20,000 per apartment for them, and they would have to collect the same from the buyers of the flats. "It is a good concept. But, how will it be useful to the people of this city who use cold water for bathing for about eight months a year?" asked A. Siva Reddy, general secretary of the Vijayawada Builders Association, at a business meet here. Mr. Reddy said: How can we convince our customers, unless there is an immediate benefit for them." He also appealed to the officials to let the builders purchase the equipment directly from the manufacturing firms. Mr. Sekhar Babu, however, turned down the appeal and said that they were implementing the Government's order and were not supposed to offer subsidies. "Each State will have its own policy, which we cannot change. We are left with no option but to implement the G.O," he stated.

Builders from the city, who are far ahead of their counterparts in other cities in installing solar water heating equipment in their proposed ventures, are expecting some concession from the NEDCAP.

As per the G.O. No. 305, issued by the Municipal Administration Department in August 2004, it is mandatory for all the builders to install solar water heating equipment atop the buildings to be constructed at a height of 15 meters and above.

The cost of the equipment would be around Rs. 2 lakhs per unit and the builders would have to deposit the amount in advance with the NEDCAP. The VMC said that permission would be given to new ventures only after the builders deposited an advance of 25 per cent of the equipment.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section

CPI(M) stages dharna, seeks release of leaders

`TDP levelling baseless charges to gain mileage'

Sops for installing solar equipment ruled out

BJP backs NMR employees' stir

UDA firm on fiscal discipline

Health workers told to check outbreak of epidemics

1 killed, 12 hurt in road mishap

Around the City

In Vijayawada Today