Bhubaneswar: Odisha has installed more than 1.63 lakh rooftop solar systems under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, benefiting over 1.64 lakh households, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy and Power Shripad Yesso Naik informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question by Baragada MP Pradeep Purohit, Naik said Odisha had received 3,08,894 applications under the scheme since its launch in February 2024. Of these, 1,63,811 rooftop solar systems have been installed, benefiting 1,64,903 households.
The Centre has released Rs 746.67 crore as Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to Odisha under the scheme as of August 7, 2026.
Baleshwar has recorded the highest number of rooftop solar installations in the state, with 15,343 systems, followed by Ganjam (13,811), Khordha (13,704) and Cuttack (12,624).
Mayurbhanj recorded 8,961 installations, followed by Baragada (8,081), Jajapur (7,986), Nuapada (7,689), Balangir (6,012), Jagatsinghpur (5,903), Sambalpur (5,712) and Puri (5,695).
Bhadrak recorded 5,583 installations, followed by Kalahandi (5,154), Kendujhar (5,009), Dhenkanal (4,780) and Kendrapara (4,531). Sonpur recorded 3,049 installations, Anugola 3,058, Nayagada 2,915 and Jharsuguda 2,737.
The lowest number of installations was recorded in Kandhamal (642), followed by Malkangiri (703), Debagada (811), Koraput (1,148), Nabarangpur (1,320), Rayagada (1,412) and Gajapati (1,482).
According to the minister, more than 37,678 beneficiaries in Odisha received zero electricity bills during at least one month or billing period after installing rooftop solar systems.
The actual benefit, however, depends on a consumer’s electricity consumption and the amount of electricity generated by the rooftop solar system.
A standard 1-kWp rooftop solar plant is estimated to generate around 3 to 4 kWh of electricity on a normal sunny day. The Ministry said electricity bills of consumers in Odisha, including those in Bargarh and Jharsuguda, have been largely reduced after the installation of rooftop solar systems.
Naik said saturation of government buildings through rooftop solar installation is also a component of the PM Surya Ghar scheme. However, government buildings are not eligible for CFA, as rooftop solar plants are considered financially viable for such establishments even without Central assistance.
Beneficiaries can avail themselves of collateral-free loans from nationalised banks at a concessional interest rate of the repo rate plus 50 basis points, currently 5.75% per annum, with a repayment tenure of up to 10 years.
The loan application facility has been integrated with the National Portal through the JanSamarth portal. The government has also established a grievance redressal mechanism and operates a 12-language call centre at 15555 to address beneficiaries’ concerns.
The Centre has been conducting awareness campaigns through newspapers, television and radio, including regional FM channels. It has also sanctioned the installation of 1.50 lakh rooftop solar systems under the Utility Led Aggregation Model.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and REC Ltd., acting as the National Programme Implementing Agency for the scheme, are working with DISCOMs to ensure effective implementation across Odisha.
