The State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency will oversee the implementation of the scheme, with guidance from the DLC. This structure is designed to ensure a smooth transition to solar energy and to serve as a benchmark for other villages.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has released the operational guidelines for the ‘Model Solar Village’ component under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. This initiative, part of a broader scheme launched on February 29, 2024, aims to foster solar energy adoption and promote self-reliance in rural communities.
The ‘Model Solar Village’ scheme is designed to select one village per district across India to receive a central financial grant of ₹1 crore. A total financial outlay of ₹800 crore has been allocated for this initiative, which seeks to turn selected villages into models of solar-powered energy independence.
To qualify, villages must be revenue villages with populations exceeding 5,000, or 2,000 in special category states. The selection process involves a competitive evaluation based on the village’s distributed renewable energy capacity installed six months after being named a potential candidate by the District Level Committee (DLC).
The village with the highest renewable energy capacity in each district will be awarded the ₹1 crore grant. The State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency will oversee the implementation of the scheme, with guidance from the DLC. This structure is designed to ensure a smooth transition to solar energy and to serve as a benchmark for other villages.
The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore, aims to increase solar rooftop capacity and enable residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme is set to run until the fiscal year 2026-27, marking a significant step towards enhancing solar energy infrastructure across India.
