Tripura pushes ambitious solar power plan for all government buildings

Tripura aims to cover all government buildings with solar power systems as part of a major renewable energy push, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced Sunday.

Over 13,500 families have already registered for solar power installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, signalling strong public interest in the state's clean energy transition.

"The demand for solar power in Tripura has increased. Till 1st May, 13,536 registrations were done online," Nath told reporters during a press briefing.

Early adopters are already seeing benefits from the program. "For the first time, 70 consumers received Rs 30,902 under the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana after they installed solar systems in their houses," the minister stated.

The government has set an ambitious target to bring 50,000 consumers under the solar scheme by March 2027, which would generate an additional 150 megawatts of power for the state.

According to official figures, 266 households have already installed solar plants, with 184 receiving government subsidies. Financial institutions have disbursed loans totalling Rs 1.75 crore to 95 families for solar installations.

The minister highlighted a concerning trend in bill payment compliance. Of Tripura's 987,838 power consumers, only 432,045 pay their electricity bills regularly.

"Around 60 per cent of consumers don't pay electricity bills," Nath noted, adding that authorities have cracked down on power theft with 1,015 cases registered between April 2024 and April 2025. Officials disconnected 10,779 hook lines during this period and imposed fines totalling Rs 4.19 crore.

Despite these challenges, Tripura's power supply remains stable. "There are no power issues in the state. Our peak power demand is 370 Megawatt, and we are generating 372 Megawatt," the minister assured.