Patna: Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit has directed officials to accelerate the processing of ration card applications and implementation of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, while ordering strict action against agencies that fail to meet performance standards.
The directions were issued during a review meeting on the Food and Consumer Protection Department’s Special Ration Card Campaign and the Energy Department’s PM Surya Ghar scheme.
11.83 Lakh Ration Card Applications Found Eligible
According to the review, 1,393,704 offline ration card applications have been received across Bihar under the special campaign. After verification, 1,183,792 applications were found eligible.
As of August 17, data entry had been completed for 413,079 applications, or about 35% of the eligible applications. Jehanabad, Darbhanga, Arwal and Banka recorded the highest progress in data entry.
The administration has also enabled 13,292 applications for e-KYC, of which 1,569 have been completed. So far, 6,826 ration cards have been issued through the SDO login.
Saharsa recorded the highest number of cards issued, with 2,124 beneficiaries receiving ration cards.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to complete pending e-KYC processes in “mission mode” and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive their ration cards without further delay.
Rs 1,000 Crore State Subsidy For Solar Scheme
The review also assessed progress under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
The Bihar Cabinet approved an additional state subsidy of Rs 10,000 per kilowatt on August 12, subject to a maximum state subsidy of Rs 20,000 per beneficiary. Combined with the central subsidy, beneficiaries will receive total support of Rs 40,000 for a 1 kW system, Rs 80,000 for 2 kW and Rs 98,000 for 3 kW systems.
The benefit will be extended to 5 lakh beneficiaries on a first-come, first-served basis, with the state government expected to spend Rs 1,000 crore.
District Targets Set For 5 Lakh Rooftop Installations
A provisional target of 5 lakh rooftop solar installations across Bihar was finalised and communicated to field teams on August 14.
Patna has been assigned the highest target of 28,000 installations, followed by East Champaran with 24,000 and Muzaffarpur with 23,000.
During the week from August 10 to 16, officials reported the installation of 14,079 structures and 6,690 solar panels. This represented increases of 36% and 48%, respectively, over the previous week.
Cumulatively, 35,879 structures and 14,656 panels have been installed, according to the review.
Action Against Non-Performing Agency
The Chief Secretary ordered strict action against M/s Landsky Engineers Pvt. Ltd. over alleged negligence and delays in its work.
The agency’s Letter of Award has been cancelled and it has been debarred. The Chief Secretary said agencies failing to perform would not be spared.
Officials were also instructed to immediately complete 132 inspections that have remained pending for more than seven days. The administration has set a target of reducing the current average inspection time of 14 days.
Focus On Equipment Supply
The review found 12,407 structures and 17,610 panels available in inventory, while 13,200 structures and 3,112 panels were in transit.
Agencies were directed to maintain uninterrupted supplies of equipment and meet the daily installation targets set for November 2026.
The state government and district administrations have also undertaken awareness activities, including a tableau at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, workshops in Darbhanga and Gaya, theatre and radio advertisements in Purnia, Solar Rath Yatras in Jehanabad and Nawada, and Solar Melas in several districts.
All concerned Chief Engineers have been directed to attend the next review meeting in person.
