Chandigarh, 1 December 2025:The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana Stakeholders’ Meeting held today at the Sangam Auditorium, MGSIPA, Sector 26, witnessed enthusiastic participation from city residents, with over 80 RWA members in attendance. The city’s two major RWA federations—FOSWAC and CRAWFED—participated actively, including the President of FOSWAC and senior office bearers of CRAWFED. The forum served as a vital platform to raise public concerns, enhance coordination among stakeholders, and spread awareness about the scheme’s benefits.
The event was chaired by Sh. Saurabh Kumar, IFS, Secretary, Science & Technology & Renewable Energy. The panel included Sh. Navneet Kumar Srivastava, IFS, Director S&T&RE; Sh. Arun Verma, Director CPDL; Sh. Pramod Mishra, CTO CPDL; Sh. Sukhwinder Abrol, Project Director CREST; and Sh. Abhishek Chaudhary. Representatives from RWAs, empanelled solar vendors, and various administrative departments including CHB, MC and the Engineering Department were also present.
The programme began with lamp lighting, followed by detailed presentations by CREST and CPDL on the features and benefits of the PMSG-MBY scheme. Participants were informed of measures introduced to simplify the process and expedite subsidy release. Success stories highlighted that 148 out of 673 beneficiaries have already achieved zero electricity bills under the PMSG scheme in the first nine months of the year.
CREST & CPDL Shared Key Insights on Financial and Consumer Benefits
The agencies presented clear and comprehensive information on:
• Payback period of less than five years and long-term monetary gains
• Transparent and time-bound processing of applications through the National Portal
• Subsidy benefits, negative billing and bank-unit settlement, with 20% consumers already receiving zero bills
• Waiver of meter testing fees and digitalisation of PPA signing
• Streamlined inspection timelines and enhanced consumer services
Key Policy Issues Raised
Civil society members highlighted the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) roof-right issue, which currently restricts rooftop solar adoption in approximately 60,000 CHB flats, and sought urgent policy intervention. Concerns regarding acceptance of Power of Attorney and other alternate documents for rooftop installation approvals were also raised.
Interactive Q&A – Residents Highlight Billing, Technical & Procedural Concerns
Participants raised several issues during the interactive session, including:
a. Need for early Consumer Hearings instead of sector-wise RWA meetings
b. Clarification on banked units, carry-forward mechanism and settlement
c. Complaints of overbilling and delays in bill rectification
d. Queries on PPA terms, load enhancement charges, ACD entries and sundry billing
e. Delays in meter testing and release of pending subsidies
f. Installation challenges in buildings with multiple electricity connections
Secretary S&T&RE Stresses Need for Greater Outreach
The Secretary emphasized adopting multiple methods—electronic, print, and social media outreach; door-to-door campaigns; workshops; and focused meetings—to bridge the information gap. He stated that PM Surya Ghar is a flagship national scheme and its wide-ranging benefits must reach all eligible citizens to enable Chandigarh to emerge as a truly model solar city and move toward the vision of a 100% renewable-energy powered city.
CREST and CPDL reaffirmed their commitment to:
• Streamlining consumer experience
• Accelerating inspections, billing corrections and subsidy disbursal
• Enhancing transparency through digital processes
• Providing continuous handholding throughout the installation process
The meeting concluded with a strengthened collective resolve to advance Chandigarh toward 100% rooftop solar coverage.