Samariya calls for 10% green budget allocation to combat climate change

Vijayawada: Central Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Heeralal Samariya has called for an urgent and sustained action to combat climate change, urging both governments and communities to allocate at least 10 percent of their budgets towards green funding and energy efficiency initiatives.

Speaking at a programme organised in his office in New Delhi on Sunday, attended by A Chandra Sekhara Reddy, Media Adviser for Southern States and Union Territories at BEE, Ministry of Power, Government of India, Samariya stressed the importance of ‘people’s partnership from Galli to Delhi’ in building a resilient and sustainable future.

Samariya, who has over four decades of bureaucratic experience including in power sector at both State and national levels, emphasised that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present reality that has caused severe ecological, economic, and human losses across the world, including India.

“India’s major cities—Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and many others—have all witnessed devastating climate-induced losses,” Samariya said. He highlighted the need for wide-ranging public awareness campaigns, particularly through videos and social media, to educate citizens about the adverse impacts. He also appreciated the sustained efforts of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Government of India, in promoting energy-saving programme through communication strategies involving State Designated Agencies (SDAs).

Recalling the devastating Hudhud super cyclone that struck Visakhapatnam in October 2014, Samariya said it forced policymakers to adopt innovative, energy-efficient technologies which ultimately benefited other parts of the country and even attracted global and BRICS attention. Thanks to joint interventions by the state government and the Union Government’s Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), the city transitioned to over one lakh LED streetlights, significantly reducing energy costs and CO₂ emissions.

Samariya lauded the success of the EESL model under the Government of India’s Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), noting that it has since been replicated in several states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Telangana. The programme, he said, has resulted in an annual reduction of 6.2 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions and savings of about Rs 5,400 crore to the public exchequer.

“For the first time, even my home state of Rajasthan has taken the lead. The Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad and EESL have signed a landmark MoU to jointly empower rural communities through the Urjaveer Movement. This collaboration marks a significant step towards sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and clean energy adoption in rural Rajasthan. This programme has already been successful in Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

He reiterated his call for all states to earmark a minimum of 5–10 percent of their budgets for green funding. “This provision will have a major impact on sustainable development through enhanced energy efficiency and effective climate change mitigation. Only by sustaining the momentum on climate action can we ensure a secure and sustainable future for our children,” Samariya said.