Model Solar Villages
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- Context: The Green Energy Corporation has intensified its efforts to prepare a project report for establishing 37 model solar villages across Tamil Nadu.
- To encourage the use of solar power in households, the Central Government launched the ‘PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ scheme in 2024.
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- Under this scheme, a subsidy of ₹30,000 per kilowatt is provided for setting up rooftop solar power systems in households.
- As part of this initiative, a project to establish model solar villages in every district is also currently being implemented.
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- Accordingly, a decision has been made to set up a solar power plant within each village and to distribute the electricity generated from it to local households and public utility buildings including Panchayat offices.
- The Central Government provides financial assistance of ₹1 crore for the establishment of a single solar village.
- In Tamil Nadu, the Green Energy Corporation a subsidiary of the Electricity Board is undertaking the work of creating solar villages across 37 districts, excluding Chennai.
- For this purpose, villages with a population exceeding 5,000 have been selected to be developed as model solar villages.
Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
- The Government of India launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana’ in February 2024.
- The objective of this scheme is to install Rooftop Solar (RTS) systems in one crore households within the residential sector by the financial year 2026-27.
- This scheme operates under the aegis of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
- The scheme also envisions the creation of one ‘Model Solar Village’ in every district across the country.
This scheme is implemented at the national level through the ‘National Project Implementation Agency’ (NPIA) and at the state level through ‘State Implementing Agencies’ (SIAs).
