Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday, June 14, 2026, launched the installation of rooftop solar plants for 2.5 lakh Kutir Jyoti consumers under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme), at an outlay of ₹1,512 crore. Alongside, he inaugurated, dedicated, and laid the foundation stones for various energy-sector development projects worth ₹1,278 crore, bringing the total investment announced on the day to ₹2,790 crore.

Context

Posting on X, CM Choudhary stated: 'Aaj PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana ke antargat ₹1512 crore ki lagat se 2.5 lakh Kutir Jyoti upbhoktaon ke gharon par saur urja sanyantra sthapna karya ka shubharambh kiya' — ('Today, under the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, the work of installing solar energy plants on the homes of 2.5 lakh Kutir Jyoti consumers at a cost of ₹1,512 crore was inaugurated.'). He also set out a clear timeline: connecting 2.5 lakh homes by November 2026 and scaling to 25 lakh homes by November 2027.

The Kutir Jyoti programme has historically provided single-point electricity connections to below-poverty-line rural households. Integrating these connections with rooftop solar systems marks a significant shift from basic electrification to clean, self-sustaining energy supply for Bihar's most economically vulnerable residents.

Policy Backdrop

The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana was launched by the Government of India in 2024 to provide up to 300 units of free electricity per month to one crore households through rooftop solar systems of 1–3 kW capacity. Bihar has historically recorded high aggregate technical and commercial losses in its power distribution network and low solar penetration, making it one of the states with the most to gain from the scheme.

The current drive fits into a broader national policy arc that began with the National Solar Mission in 2010 and continued through the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) in 2017, which targeted universal household electrification. India's overarching goal of 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030 has pushed both central and state governments to converge renewable schemes with distribution reforms. Similar rooftop and distributed solar drives are active in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh.

Stakeholders and Impact

CM Choudhary underlined the state government's commitment to making Bihar energy self-reliant through solar promotion, strengthening environmental protection, and ensuring 'affordable, sustainable, and accessible electricity to every household.' The primary beneficiaries of today's launch are 2.5 lakh Kutir Jyoti consumers — rural, low-income families who previously had only basic grid connections and now stand to receive subsidised rooftop solar installations.

At scale, the November 2027 target of 25 lakh homes would represent one of the largest state-level rooftop solar rollouts in eastern India, with implications for reducing peak-load pressure on the state grid, cutting household electricity bills, and contributing to Bihar's carbon footprint reduction. The broader energy-sector projects worth ₹1,278 crore inaugurated alongside are expected to bolster transmission and distribution infrastructure to support the expanded solar load.

What's Next

The immediate milestone to watch is the November 2026 deadline for connecting the first 2.5 lakh homes — a target the state government has publicly committed to. Progress will depend on supply-chain readiness for solar panels, installer capacity, and the pace of subsidy disbursement under the central scheme. State-level regulatory orders on net-metering policy and beneficiary verification processes will also shape how quickly installations translate into actual electricity generation for households.

If Bihar meets its 2027 target of 25 lakh solar homes, it would signal a structural transformation in the state's energy profile — from a chronic power-deficit state to a model for decentralised renewable adoption in eastern India.