Agartala, May 20: In a major push toward clean and sustainable energy, the Tripura government and the Tripura State Electricity Corporation have announced a new initiative to provide solar power systems to low-electricity-consuming households at a highly subsidized rate.

State Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath made the announcement on Tuesday during the release of the “Rooftop Solar PV System Handbook” at Geetanjali Guest House in Agartala.

Under the scheme, families consuming less than 50 units of electricity per month will be able to install solar power systems by paying only Rs. 1,000. Around 1.5 lakh families have already been identified for inclusion in the project.

The minister said that the adoption of solar energy in the state is growing rapidly under the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Yojana. More than 17,000 people have registered under the scheme so far, and nearly 3,500 households have already installed rooftop solar systems.

He added that the government is currently offering subsidies of Rs. 33,000 for 1-kilowatt solar systems, Ra. 66,000 for 2-kilowatt systems, and up to Ra. 85,800 for 3-kilowatt systems. 

Families using less than 50 units of electricity monthly will receive solar installations worth nearly Rs. 66,000 by contributing just Rs. 1,000, Nath said.

The initiative aims to generate around 150 megawatts of electricity across the state. According to the minister, implementation of the project could begin as early as next month.

At present, nearly 3 lakh families in Tripura consume less than 50 units of electricity each month. In the first phase, 1.5 lakh of these households will be brought under the scheme, he noted.

The minister also highlighted capacity-building efforts being undertaken with support from German agency GIZ. Under this collaboration, Tripura State Electricity Corporation officials, engineers, and vendors are receiving specialized training on solar system maintenance and repair. Two informative handbooks in English and Bengali have also been published to help consumers better understand the technology.

Emphasizing the economic benefits of solar energy, Nath said that while people earlier only paid electricity bills, rooftop solar systems are now enabling households to earn as well. 

He noted that the initiative is expected to promote both energy savings and financial improvement for residents.