The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has issued guidelines for implementing the ‘Model Solar Village’ component under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana as of 9th August 2024. The scheme aims to establish one Model Solar Village in each district across India, promoting solar energy adoption and enabling villages to become self-reliant in their energy needs.
A financial outlay of Rs 8 billion has been allocated for this initiative, with Rs 10 million designated for each selected Model Solar Village. To qualify, villages must be revenue villages with populations above 5,000 (or 2,000 in special category states). The selection process will be competitive, with villages assessed based on the distributed renewable energy capacity they install within six months of being declared potential candidates by the District Level Committee (DLC).
The village with the highest renewable energy capacity in each district will receive a central financial assistance grant of Rs 10 million. The implementation will be managed by State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agencies under the DLC’s supervision, ensuring the selected villages effectively transition to solar power and serve as models for others.
The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, approved on 29th February 2024, aims to increase solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme has a total outlay of Rs 750.21 billion and will be implemented until FY 2026-27.