Assam secretariat becomes India's first eco-friendly state govt headquarters

Guwahati: The Assam Secretariat on Sunday became the country's first green state government headquarters with the inauguration of a 2.5 MW solar power project on its campus, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Installed at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore, the grid-connected rooftop solar power plant will save Rs 30 lakh in electricity bills every month, he said while addressing the official programme here.

"Today, we took a giant leap forward in our goal to become a Net-Zero Govt, as I inaugurated a 2.5 MW Solar Project in Janata Bhawan, making #AssamGreenSecretariat, India's first Green Secretariat," Sarma said in a post on X after the function.

From now onwards, the secretariat complex will run entirely on solar power, resulting in savings of Rs 30 lakh every month on electricity bills, he added.

The Chief Minister also said the government has decided that all official complexes will be fitted with solar panels, beginning with the medical colleges and universities across the state.

The power installations at all government offices will have automatic disconnection facilities at 8-9 pm, except home, finance and CM secretariat, he added.

"So far, the electricity bills of all ministers, senior officials and other staff staying at official quarters were being paid by the government. This 75-year-old practice will stop in July. We will pay our bills on our own," Sarma said.

After implementing all these steps, which will result in saving of cost and power both, the state-run Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) will explore the possibility of reducing power tariff by Re 1 from April 1, 2025 to provide relief to consumers, he added.