Patna: In a major push for renewable energy, the Bihar government has announced plans to install rooftop solar panels free of cost for 58.89 lakh Kutir Jyoti (BPL) households across the state.
The scheme will also offer financial assistance to the remaining 1.30 crore domestic consumers who wish to install rooftop panels, encouraging broader adoption of solar energy.
Energy Department Secretary and BSPHCL CMD Manoj Kumar Singh explained that each Kutir Jyoti consumer will receive a 1.1 KW rooftop solar panel, fully subsidised by the government. Under the “PM Surya Ghar Yojana,” the central government provides Rs 33,000, while the state covers the remaining Rs 27,000, ensuring 100 per cent subsidy for these households.
The total cost of providing rooftop solar panels to all Kutir Jyoti consumers is estimated at Rs 16,000 crore, which the government plans to cover over two years using existing subsidy allocations for these households, avoiding any additional financial burden.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, during a recent virtual outreach programme, highlighted the government’s commitment to promoting solar energy, noting that all government buildings have already been equipped with solar panels.
Energy Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav also emphasised that the government aims to reduce reliance on conventional energy and expand the use of renewable sources, including solar power.
The state government plans to complete the installation of rooftop solar panels across all domestic consumers’ buildings within three years. This initiative follows the earlier Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali mission programme, under which solar energy plants have already been installed in over 12,000 government buildings and installations across Bihar.
