Shimla, Sept 22,
Shimla’s villages are gearing up for a clean energy contest, as ten panchayats have been shortlisted under the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana to compete for a Rs 1 crore prize. The award will go to the panchayat that installs the maximum number of rooftop solar units, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap announced while chairing a district-level review meeting.
The chosen panchayats—Tyal, Chakrail, Datt Nagar, Kitbari, Parhech, Shingla, Sarahan, Kumarsain, Bounda and Mehli—will be developed as model solar villages. Each rooftop installation will also earn the respective panchayat an incentive of Rs 1,000, further fuelling the race to boost adoption. Formalities for beneficiaries have been extended until February 28, 2026, giving the villages a little over a year to mobilize residents and complete the required steps.
The scheme, approved by the Centre earlier this year, promises households up to Rs 85,000 in subsidies for rooftop solar plants of 3 kilowatt capacity. Yet the pace in Shimla district has been sluggish. Of the 676 applications received so far, 204 applicants have not even selected their vendors online and 205 have uploaded incomplete documents. Only 76 rooftop systems have been installed, while 16 are under process and four await inspection by the electricity department.
Kashyap urged residents to act quickly, warning that panels cannot be installed until vendors are selected through the official portal. He directed the electricity department and Himurja officials to call applicants personally and guide them through the process. “This scheme has the power to make families self-reliant in energy and to financially empower rural communities. We need greater awareness and participation at the grassroots,†he said.
Beyond the competition, the initiative aims to transform villages into clean energy hubs. Households will see their electricity bills fall, while idle rooftops are turned into productive assets. With subsidies covering 60 percent of the cost for the first 2 kilowatts and 40 percent for the next kilowatt, officials say the scheme has been designed to be both affordable and attractive.
The Rs 1 crore reward, however, is expected to be the real game-changer. Panchayats are now likely to launch door-to-door campaigns to encourage villagers to sign up, as winning the prize would not only bring recognition but also create funds for further local development.
Whether the lure of becoming Himachal’s first award-winning solar village can overcome the initial slow response remains to be seen. For now, the race to turn sunlight into power—and prestige—has begun in Shimla’s hills.
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