Union Budget 2019: Presenting her maiden budget for the financial year 2019-20, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the about Rs 18,000 crore annually was saved because of the massive usage of LED bulbs instead of CFLs and incandescent ones. “Approximately 35 crore LED bulbs have been distributed under UJALA Yojana leading to cost saving of Rs 18,341 crores annually,” the finance minister said. Projecting the outlook for next years, Nirmala Sitharaman also said that the country is going to be free of incandescent bulbs and CFL use has already become minuscule. “We will use the approach of mission LED bulb method to promote the use of solar stoves and battery chargers in the country,” the finance minister added. 

According to the Ministry of Power, about 45,865 mn kWh of energy is saved per year and even the carbon emissions were reduced by 3,71,50,810 tonne. Over 4 crore bulbs were distributed in Gujarat alone under the UJALA scheme. The scheme was rechristened as UJALA from the previous DELP (Domestic Efficient Lighting Program). Narendra Modi’s UJALA (Unnat Jeevan by Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All), which aimed at the distribution of non-subsidized LED bulbs, was launched in 2015. “For a good quality of life and ease of living, maintaining a cleaner environment and ensuring sustainable energy use is vital. A programme of mass scaling up of LED bulbs for widespread distribution at household level was taken up resulting into the massive replacement of incandescent bulbs and CFLs in the country,” Nirmala Sitharaman said while talking about the scheme.

Meanwhile, Nirmala Sitharaman has also said that there is a renewed focus on the schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as well and the government’s work is not over yet.  The government will now leverage the latest technology in terms of creating energy from waste. Under this, a solid waste management program will be started in every Indian village to generate electricity, she said. Many of Narendra Modi’s schemes from his previous tenure are nearing completion now.