“Nandyal district should emerge as a model in the implementation of the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar scheme, aimed at providing clean solar energy to every household,” District Collector G. Rajakumari said on Friday. She said the district was preparing to implement solar power projects with a combined capacity of 39 MW at an estimated cost of ₹180 crore.

Reviewing the progress of the scheme at the MPDO office in Allagadda, along with local MLA Bhuma Akhila Priya, the Collector directed officials to expedite implementation through coordinated efforts at the village level.

Ms. Rajakumari said the State government was committed to promoting solar energy in rural areas to ensure long-term energy security and reduce dependence on conventional power sources. She noted that SC and ST households were eligible for 100% subsidy for solar panel installations, while other beneficiaries could avail themselves of substantial subsidies depending on the installed capacity.

Officials of the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) informed the meeting that a three-kilowatt rooftop solar unit, sufficient for most households, could generate between 300 and 360 units of electricity a month. They said consumers could feed surplus power into the grid through net metering and receive payments for the energy supplied. Banks were also extending loan facilities to consumers, enabling them to repay EMIs through savings accrued on electricity bills, the officials added.

Ms. Akhila Priya said 12 villages in the Allagadda constituency had been identified for development as solar villages within the next year, with priority being accorded to habitations predominantly inhabited by SC and ST communities.