Nalanda: Nalanda district in Bihar has honoured 60 households for switching entirely to rooftop solar power under the Prime Minister’s free electricity scheme, with officials saying the move has cut recipients’ power bills to zero and boosted local renewable capacity.
The awards were presented on Friday at the town hall in Bihar Sharif by the district magistrate, Kundan Kumar, as part of the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Certificate holders included Sandeep Kumar, Anita Devi, Anil Kumar, Md Abhiyaz Jafri, Soni Kumari and Shambhu Lal Vishwakarma. Five vendors associated with the programme were also recognised for their performance.
Addressing the gathering, Kumar described solar energy as a pollution-free and inexhaustible resource, linking its use to India’s energy security and long-term climate goals. He told students present that the country aims to generate 50% of its total energy capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030.
Bihar has installed rooftop solar systems for more than 14,000 consumers so far, creating 52.5 megawatts of capacity and drawing subsidies totalling Rs 103.56 crore, officials said. Nalanda has emerged as one of the state’s leading districts, with 949 households installing systems amounting to 3.18 megawatts—placing it second statewide by installations.
On the back of this performance, Nalanda has been selected for the City Accelerated Programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, alongside Patna and Muzaffarpur. The designation is expected to bring technical assistance and capacity-building support.
The state energy department has set a target of installing about 2,000 rooftop solar panels in Nalanda by the end of 2026. Senior district officials and representatives from the City Accelerated Programme attended the event.
