New Delhi: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has officially released the guidelines for the implementation of the ‘Model Solar Village’ component under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a landmark initiative aimed at promoting solar energy adoption across India. The guidelines, notified on August 9, 2024, outline the framework for creating one Model Solar Village per district, with the overarching goal of enabling village communities to become self-reliant in meeting their energy needs through solar power.
Under the scheme, a total financial outlay of ₹800 crore has been allocated specifically for the ‘Model Solar Village’ component, with each selected village set to receive ₹1 crore. This funding is intended to support the transformation of villages into solar-powered communities, serving as models for other villages across the country.
To be eligible for consideration, a village must be a revenue village with a population exceeding 5,000, or 2,000 in special category states. The selection process is competitive, with villages assessed on their installed distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity six months after being declared a potential candidate by the District Level Committee (DLC). The village with the highest RE capacity in each district will be awarded the central financial assistance grant of ₹1 crore.
The implementation of this scheme will be managed by State and Union Territory Renewable Energy Development Agencies, under the supervision of the DLC. The selected villages will transition to solar-powered communities, setting an example for the rest of the nation to follow in the adoption of renewable energy.
The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, approved by the Government of India on February 29, 2024, is a broader initiative with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore. The scheme is designed to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme will be implemented until the fiscal year 2026-27.